Night Watch Changeling Part 2
by Gothmayden
Summary: The 2nd story, running concurrently with Story 1, which will meet and conclude in story 3, in the same style as the creator, Sergei Lukyanenko. 3rd person, and what happens while Anton is on his mission. Spoilers for all 4 books in the series...enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Zabulon......you really need to hear this."

Zabulon grunted and rose from his chair. He knew this was going to happen, ever since the first reports came in a few months ago of the newly initiated witch. She was a little feeble minded and at first they thought the initiation had pushed her over the edge. But with the strange disappearances lately not a single usable Other could be ignored. She could have been used as a 'battery' if nothing else. When she came out of the twilight though, she had started talking. She hadn't stopped talking since...even in her sleep, vast amounts of verbal diarrhea had been pouring forth, whispered quietly day and night...until someone bothered to start listening to it. Then all hell broke loose, to pardon the pun. A lot was repeated, almost like it was set on a loop. But sometimes a clear, coherent passage would come out....and they were predictions, some so accurate that they even mentioned dates at times to almost the nearest second. The witch had already predicted the losses amongst the lower leveled Others, which ones and when...setting guards did no good, they just faded away into the twilight, called by the strangeness that was currently reaching out, teasing and enticing Others to enter, for some, to go in so deep they couldn't return.

It was all becoming predictable to the point of boredom, but Zabulon had still left instructions to be notified as soon as something changed. Obviously something had.

Following the witch that had come for him, Zabulon strode down the corridor away from his office and turned towards the medical wing. The room on the far left had two Magician guards at the door, no need for all the Dark ones to know what was being predicted, moral was already as low as it could get, no point making it worse and rendering half of them incapable of doing there jobs when needed.

Zabulon nodded to the two guards. One nodded back, and dropped the shield around the door allowing Zabulon to enter. He could have entered himself easily enough, but why waste the effort?

As Zabulon closed the door behind him, he felt the shield replaced. Good, there was a least a few who still knew how to do there jobs properly.

There were three more mages in the room, all stood and bowed to Zabulon who returned the nod almost imperceptibly. He passed them and entered the inner door. Behind the second door was a small room, the only furniture in it a bed and a chair. In the chair was a Dark sorceress, taking notes, and the prophecy witch, lying in the bed, visibly weaken by the constant monologue. Her eyes were closed and sunken, her breathing rattling in her throat. The smell of sickness permeated the air.

But the witch was silent.

"Zabulon...." The sorceress stood up and bowed, ".... I'm glad your here. As you can see she has fallen silent, but it was the last thing she said that I called you here for." She passed him the clipboard. Zabulon read it, and at first frowned, then his expression turning to one of puzzlement.

"You see what I mean?" The sorceress turned to the bed. "She said that three times. She has been silent since, but as you can see, she said in three hours a great message of import was coming...and was for the ears of the master alone. You are our master, its almost time."

"Have you set up the recording devices?"

"They are in place sir."

"Good, I want this recording. It may be nothing, but I've a feeling this will be important."

"39 seconds to go, the recording is running now." She glanced at the clock. "7.15pm, exactly 3 hours....."

Zabulon sat on the chair next to the bed. "Lorah, Lorah, this is your master, I am here for the message as you asked. Speak....."

A pause. Lorah began to breathe deeper, then her eyes opened.

"He is coming.....he is coming."

"Who is coming?"

"Light cannot illuminate him, Dark cannot shadow him, none can oppose him, none can control him, yet all can see themselves in him. A shining jewel in the greyness. A reflection of us all."

The sorceress wrote it down. Zabulon leaned closer to Lorah.

"Who....who is it?".

"Light cannot illuminate him, Dark cannot shadow him, none can oppose him, none can control him, yet all can see themselves in him. A shining jewel in the greyness. A reflection of us all."

He sat back, sighing. Repetitiveness, that had been the norm so far, he would just have to wait until the next part arrived. It was only seconds though, before Lorah sat bolt upright and screamed.

"Ten days! Ten days and our lives will change forever! The world will change forever! The balance must remain! Ten days from NOW!!!!"

She collapsed back on the bed, the last word torn from her almost as a scream. The sorceress rushed over and felt for a pulse. Then looked at Zabulon. "Shes dead."

Zabulon shrugged. "Arrange for the body to be disposed of. What do you make of that then Maya?"

The sorceress Maya was shaking. "Lorah was never wrong so far, but I'm not sure what to make of it."

Zabulon glared at her, "Yes you do, she just described perfectly a mirror. In seven days there's going to be a mirror...its going to be a massacre. There has been a change in the balance, there's going to be a mirror to rebalance things. What concerns me though is she indicated something worldwide, a mirror is normally localized."

"A mirror? But I didn't think the twilight had the strength yet?"

"What do you know of the twilight, what does any of us know for sure."

She slid over to Zabulon, he hips swinging provocatively. "But surely that will be a good thing for us? A few less of them is better all round."

Zabulon swung around and struck Maya in the face with such force that she was flung across the room. Raising herself up on her knees she stared back at him, her eyes filled with terror.

"Fool!" He hissed."Who said it was the light that was favored?"

Maya brushed the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping away the blood trickling from the corner, and trembling, said "But is this not because of that zero point brat that was initiated ahead of time?"

"There IS no imbalance."

"But......"

"There is no imbalance. I have been.....busy..... The brat, even at her level, is still years from her full power yet. If anything the favor is currently microscopically tipped towards the dark. Which means its your ass on the line this time. Think on that."

"I'm sorry master, I did know know."

"A mirror is the worse thing to happen at the moment. Get that recording copied, and give me the master tape. I need to see someone."

"Yes sir, at once."

"We're not going to go into this alone. The light doesn't know of any imbalance, no matter how small, in our favor. They will probably assume it is there side that is top-heavy. I'm going to recruit them. Why do our own dirty work."

"Oh well done sir." Maya grovelled, bowing low.

Zabulon looked at the Sorceress and frowned, she has served her purpose. Sex was not the best way to handle ambition, at least Alicia knew that before she met her end. He was bored of her now. Maya didn't feel the energy blocking shield he slipped around her, rendering her powerless. He left the room. In the first chamber he motioned the mages to follow him. On the way out of the second door and into the corridor, he spoke a word to the guards, who turned back into the room. There would be two bodies to dispose of tonight. And less of an imbalance to worry about.......

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"Get me our archives on the line" Zabulon ordered.

"Yes sir." His secretary got immediately to work. Efficiency was the key to a good office, he thought, it didn't matter how the efficiency was achieved....respect...fear...all the same to him.

The phone rang. He answered. "Archives....get me the full list of all the artifacts we have in the vault that can be used immediately....yes immediately! I want them all primed and ready by noon tomorrow. YES YOU HEARD ME! Get every available mage and witch we have onto this.....purpose? You are asking me my motives?! Just set them up for draining when the power is needed, I may need then very shortly. When primed, keep them in the vault until I say so, and bring me that list! An accurate list, not a 'possibly' in site, I'm going to need to know what to work with.....NOW!"

Zabulon slammed the phone down. If he wasn't short on time he would have the archive manager flogged. No matter, when this is all over......he had a long memory.

Zabulon looked at the phone. The white button on the phone seemed to be looking at him. He had to press it. He wasn't prepared if a mirror did come. It was too soon after other things. But to use the direct link to the Light Headquarters felt like an admission of weakness. But there was no choice, this time they had to be prepared, and both forces only had 10 days to think of something.

'And maybe this situation can be twisted to my advantage' he though.

Lifting the receiver one more time, he pressed the button....

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"For Light sake! That's the third one this week." Gesar threw the report onto his desk. "If we keep losing them at this rate we'll have no Light Others any where in the city, or even Russia, below the 5th rank inside three months."

"Shielding them didn't work either." Olga said, sat in the chair by the door, stirring a cup of coffee. "They just...faded away. If we blocked their power they just dissolved themselves into it. Its like a mass suicide."

"Did you get anything more on the last one to go..." Gesar looked at the open report on the desk, "...the new initiate Yuri?"

"I was there, I was the one to set the shield, he just dematerialized himself....withdrew into the twilight. No spell in the world can stop that. We might only feel the twilight's call call as a minor irritation, a gnat bite on the skin, but its driving some of the lower levels insane. Yuri was interesting though, he did say as he went that it was the right thing to do. The only one to say anything, and its cryptic beyond measure."

Gesar started pacing back and to behind his desk, a sign he was agitated. "And the other reports?"

Olga pulled out a sheaf of paper. "The same, all over the world, Others slipping away into the twilight, all lower leveled, all at random."

"At random?" Gesar raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"If you had bothered to correlate the data yourself you would be able to see the randomness of it." Olga sighed. "Yuri heard the twilight calling days before he...lets say disappeared... he was a level 5, his fellow 'classmates' were mostly below him, the intake has been poor this year, but out of all of them, only two others have heard the 'call'. A 6 and a 7, but Yuri went first."

"Lack of willpower." Gesar snored, and sat back down.

"I don't think so. I think its searching for something, or someone."

"What......?"

"It seems to be selecting people at random, all of about the same power, as though its looking for someone."

"Someone who's lower than a 4? I would have thought that if the twilight wanted someone it would have been an Other far more powerful than an underling."

"Or the one it wants seems to be that level......to it..."

"Olga, I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life."

"Boris"...she used his 'human' name, she had always preferred it, "...You tell me what else it could be then?"

Boris/Gesar sat back in his chair and turned to the window, staring out over view far below. Olga sat waiting for an answer she knew she wouldn't get. Night was drawing in, the sun still above the horizon, sinking slowly in the early summer sky. The heat of full summer hadn't yet arrived, the evening promised to be cool and inviting. A myriad of figures below were scurrying about, enjoying the last of the day. Meeting, chatting, going about the business of life.

But in the office the silence was oppressive.

The phone rang. Olga jumped, but Gesar looked as though he expected it. Allowing it to ring four times before he picked it up, he just said. "Yes." Statement, not a question.

A voice at the other end spoke for a few moments, and then Gesar hung up. He glanced at Olga.

"I think, soon, we may have some answers....."

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Damn the Light, Gesar! How many times do we have to go over this!" Zabulon was pacing rapidly up and down the Light One office. "You've seen the tape, you've had it analyzed, you seen the files, the reports, you know, for once, I'm telling the truth. Cant you put your mistrust aside for just a few moments?"

Gesar sat stoney-faced, devoid of any visible emotion, watching the Moscow Dark Leader working himself up into a frenzy. Zabulon was growling to himself, almost bestial in sound, his human form wavering in the only way it did when he was either exhausted, angry or agitated. Eventually he threw himself into the chair by the door, almost in a child-like sulk, and stared hard at Gesar.

Gesar stood up and walked to the window. The room was stifling as the heat of the day poured in through the window, but he didn't have a bead of sweat on him. He was chilled to the bone, but wasn't going to show it to Zabulon. He already knew something was going to happen, was happening, he had intelligence sources the same as Zabulon, but what to do eluded him. He was, quite literally, out of his depth, for the first time in his long life. A world wide mirror, if that what was Lorah had predicted, was unprecedented, had never happened before, and he didn't know how to respond. A question sprang to mind.

"Have you informed the inquisition yet?"

Zabulons face lit up. "Of course! Let them decide what to do!"

"Not so much decide, as inform the rest of the world."

Zabulon slumped. "I never though of that either. Although I did order an immediate inventory of all the artifacts the Dark can have ready at a moments notice. In case it isn't a mirror but something else."

Gesar frowned at him, to say such a thing, the admission of having undeclared artifacts, showed how rattled Zabulon was. Even though Gesar had enough of them of his own, it was usually an excepted norm that, unless unusually powerful, they were overlooked. And newly created ones didn't even have to be registered unless they has a specific use.

"I will contact the inquisition." Gesar put the call out through the twilight, the traditional way for a unspecific called meeting, and then they waited. The silence was only permeated by the slow ticking of an antique clock stood in the corner of the office, a present to Gesar many years before....the giver long since dead...even their memory faded. Gesar sat back at his desk, Zabulon fidgeted in the chair, they knew it could be a long wait.

An hour past before a door sized portal opened in the middle and a member of the inquisition stepped through, instantly recognizable by their sheer manner and aloofness. Dressed in an immaculate designer suit, he stood looking at the two watch heads, an eyebrow raised in a questioning manner. Clearly previously a Dark Other, the mannerisms unmistakeable even if there were no tell-tale aura, Zabulon knew he wouldn't get any favoritism from this one, even if he tried.

"Good afternoon Inquisitor. Thank you for answering my call." Gesar stood and bowed, Zabulon did the same. The Inquisitor surveyed the room briefly and then his eyes settled on the pair of them.

"It was a direct summons, I didn't have much choice. A direct call must be answered, I hope it is worth the time." He sounded almost petulant. "Last time the Inquisition were involved with the watches was extremely costly to all parties. I hope it isn't something of a similar manner this time?"

"I have a serious matter to put to the council of Inquisitors regarding the balance. I have a dossier here for there immediate attention, and I mean immediate, concerning another, possible mirror."

Gesar handed the box-sized file to the Inquisitor.

The distaste was in the Inquisitors voice. "I don't thing the high council would concern themselves with a mirror at this moment in time." In a gentler, almost apologetic tone he continued. "After the incidences recently, first the Fuaran, then at Edinburgh, and now...recently, I don't think the Inquisition is in a position to give much help. But I will convey this straight to them to decide for themselves, as your request, and convention, demands. Although I do not give much hope of a helpful answer."

He bowed to the two watch leaders, then, reopening the portal, left with the file.

Gesar looked at Zabulon questioningly, but Zabulon replied "Not one I know, at least not one who's worked in my watch. The Inquisition has been recruiting heavily recently, the same as ourselves, it must mean there numbers are being depleted to. After all, Inquisition or not, they are all still Others, the same as the rest of us."

"Hence the veiled reference to being unable to help." Gesar stared out of the window again. "Well until we here back from them officially I think we can assume we are on our own....again."

"So what now?"

"We have to think of a way to readdress the balance." Gesar held up his hand before Zabulon could answer, "....Yes I know your thoughts on the matter, even though I don't wholly concur with them."

"Well surely you can see where the imbalance lies? Its that brat that your side took too soon. Yes I know she would be yours eventually, I'm not arguing that point, its just the timing was wrong."

"It isn't like we had much choice, not during the Edinburgh incident. I knew there would be repercussions but I also didn't think the twilight had the strength to create a mirror yet either." He stared at Zabulon knowingly. "Of course it might not be our 'advantage' its coming for......"

"What else could it be?" Zabulon countered, not taking the bait. "You know as well as I do that she will be a true zero point, an Ultimate, and we have nothing to match it; Not anywhere in the world, to my knowledge, is there a Dark zero pointer. But we do have an uninitiated, and potential, Great One, not zero, but possibly close, floating around out there. If you hadn't interfered we would have him already."

Gesar turned back to the window. "Repercussions throughout time."

"What?"

"Oh nothing... something mentioned to me many years ago." Gesar pointed to the ancient clock. "I haven't thought about them in years, but the person who gave me that clock once said 'A moments haste can cause repercussions throughout time'. I always thought I knew what they meant, but I never truly did until now."

"So.......?"

Gesar bowed his head in resignation, pressing his forehead to the sun-heated glass. "Egor......must become a Dark One. Its not going to go down easy with someone we both know, you know?"

"Anton." Zabulon smirked. "Does he even have to know?"

Gesar's piercing stare made Zabulon uncomfortable for a moment. "So how you you hope to achieve this initiation. You know Egor has always evaded all attempts to even contact him, never mind an Other getting close enough to trick him into initiation. Even uninitiated, hes been in the twilight, he can see us a mile off."

"Well who does Egor still trust?" The Dark Other was smirking, he knew who already, only one Other had been able to approach Egor since the night with the Chalk and Book of Destiny.

"Are your faculties fading after all these years? How can a Light initiate a Dark?"

"Trick him?"

"Impossible in this case, Egor would know, and with his potential power it would take a Higher at least to do it. Anton is the right level, but the wrong alignment. And I doubt you'll ever get him to change."

"Not even to save his brat?"

"He wouldn't know how....he might have dark moods on him at times, but his soul is Light."

Zabulon paced over to Gesar without a word and handed him a photocopied sheet. Gesar took it and for a moment looked at it puzzled. Then as realization struck, a mask of creeping horror covered his face.

"How did you get this!?" Gesar hissed furiously. "How did you get a photostat from that damn book?"

"Arina was one of ours before she was one of yours you know? And no, I don't have it all, so the mistakes will not be repeated, even I can see the foolishness in that. But I did think that one day this particular spell might come in useful."

"When? This is an abomination to the order of things, if the Inquisition knew you had this...."

"They already knew what was in that book. Read it carefully then, if it offends your sensibilities. There is a way."

Gesar stared at the page. The words seemed to blur before his eyes, but he could see the meaning, and the way.

"Its dangerous.....and it would need more power than I could raised." Gesar realised in saying that, he had suddenly committed himself to the abominable path.

Zabulons eyes shone in victory. "I've already got, locked in the vault at our HQ, all the basic power artefacts I can get.....I have witches preparing more. Surely you have a back-up supply as well?"

"But that would leave us dangerously expose if you ever decided to attack."

"Oh don't be stupid man, neither of us will be in an attack position for years and you know it."

Gesar glanced back at the paper. "I'll get the archive list together immediately"

He couldn't help feeling he had been manoeuvred into the situation, and that there was far more to it than it seemed. But he also couldn't see any way out of it..........

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Zabulon stepped out of the portal back into his own office, and immediately called his archive, ordering the release and collection of the artefacts. Then he accessed the internet on his laptop, entered a site and typed in a heavily encoded password. A basic message screen opened before him. His eyes flashed as he simply typed 'Situation taken and accepted. Went as planned. Revenge will be mine.' He hesitated before pressing the send button, then deleted the revenge part of the message. As he sent the message he thought to himself 'No need for the world to know.....yet.'

Zabulon looked at the clock.....7.13pm, in two minutes time there would be nine days left. So little time, so much to do. He rubbed his temples, fatigue always brought on a headache, and it had been days since he had slept properly, 36 hours since any sleep at all. He tried a healing spell, but he had never been much good at them, and there was no chance he was going to ask one of the healing witches. A battle wound was one thing, but sheer tiredness was a weakness, and he never showed weakness to anyone, if it could be prevented.

The coffee percolator was stood at the far end of the room, a quick heat spell had the jugs contents steaming hot. Zabulon walked over and lifted the jug to pour a cup, hesitated, then poured the whole lot still at boiling point down his throat.

The searing pain cleared his tired mind faster than any caffeine could. He roared in pain and elation, the blinding agony was his pleasure, its sweet hurting caressing his soul. His breathing began to rattle in his blistered throat though...Damn a human form, its restrictions on his pleasure levels. He began violently shaking, the first sign of medical shock. He staggered over to the intercom and pressed it. He tried to talk, but no sound came out. He tried to a least heal his larynx enough to summon help, but he couldn't, the pleasure/pain distracted him too much, soothed and inflamed him too much.

Eventually he manage a small "Help......". Within less than a minute, a Dark healer entered, the look on the healers face showed no surprise, the scene too familiar. Without uttering a word he placed his hands on Zabulons neck and began a highly sophisticated and rapidly working spell. The ability to breathe returned, but Zabulon waved the healer away before all the damage had been repaired.

"No! Pain keeps me focused...enough!"

The Healer bowed and retreated from the room, fear mixed with disgust mingled on his visage.

'He's much better like that,' Zabulon though '...with the tongue taken out. No more preaching when I need the pain. One of my best healers, too good to kill when he became a vocal liability.....' a sneer '...sometimes success is its own failure.'

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Anton entered the bedroom quietly, changed into his sleeping gear and tip-toed over to the window. He opened the curtains and looked out onto the pre-dawn sky. He loved to watch the sun rise. When he was younger it represented a new day, new opportunities to explore, new people to meet. When he was older it represented another Watch survived. He glanced at the mirror, in the half light he was a grey image, a ghost in the glass. He shivered, an involuntary spasm down his spine, leaving a strong sense of deja-vue behind.

A noise behind him, Anton turned round. Svetlana was stirring in the bed, murmured something, turned over and drifted back into sleep. He watched her for a while, aware she had been having some vivid dreams recently, but never able to remember them when she awoke. It had bothered her, she felt there was something in them, but was frustrated at the lack of cognitive memory, anything would have done, but she seemed unable to remember even the normal ones. Unusual for an Other, even more so for her.

Anton thought it was the 'itch' from the twilight, he had told her so after she had gotten back from the lower levels with Nadya again. Nadya....the fascination for the lowest level was understandable, he had been himself a lot lately, it had been safe now it was empty. Except it wasn't anymore, it was filling up again, shadowy figures passing through level 6. Except they were not passing through, Merlin's release was gone, the door close again.

Anton felt a change in the quality of light and turned back to the window.

Dawn broke, the first rays illuminating the underside of the few clouds lingering on the eastern horizon, giving them a reddish tinge. It made him think of an old saying he had heard somewhere..."Red sky in the morning, Shepherds warning, Red sky at night, Shepherds delight."

Was he a Shepherd? Helping to protect the flock of humanity from the wolves? If so, was the dawn bringing a warning for him? For once the days first light didn't bring the comfort it use to.

Sveta stirred again, breaking his thoughts. He decided to get the coffee on and the breakfast started, she would be awake soon and he wasn't sleepy yet. Walking along the landing he past Nadyas door, he could hear her inside playing with her toys. She always was an early riser. He stopped and listen for a minute, a huge upwelling of love for her pressing against his throat and almost forcing tears from the corner of his eyes. She was his life, his little miracle. It didn't matter that one day she would be the most powerful Other on the planet, for now she was his little girl.

He heard her giggle and call out "Come in daddy." She always knew where he was.

Anton went in, and closed the door quietly behind him. Nadya was playing with her dolls, she had 5 of them levitating in the air and swooping in intricate patterns, intertwining in a bizarre but strangely hypnotic way. She looked at him, concentration lost as they clattered to the ground, and she ran to her daddy, flinging her arms around him. Anton hugged her back and stroked her hair gently. Nadya looked up at him with her big, soulful eyes.

"Daddy, no matter what happens I will always love you."

A icy chill spread up his spine. "Nothing is going to happen to daddy, sweetheart. I'll always be here for my little girl."

She smiled at him, a small, sad grin that spoke more than any words could. She loosened her grip on him and went back to her toys, ignoring her daddy as he backed silently out of the room.

Anton closed the door and pressed his back against the painted wood, the coolness of the morning seeping through the thin material of his sleep shirt. It just added to the cold sweat that had broken out all over him. The thought of coffee sprang to mind again....although he needed something stronger now. Heading downstairs and going into the kitchen he started the breakfast.

As he settled in to the repetitiveness of familiar food preparation, the feeling of foreboding eased, but didn't entirely leave him. As the meal was cooking, he reached for the cooking sherry on the top shelf and took a large swig, the bitter sweetness almost made him gag, but his empty stomach meant the alcohol started to hit his system almost immediately. He looked at the bottle......and put it back on the shelf. There had been too many early morning drinks lately, since Kostya's death. He still felt pangs of guilt about it, could possibly have prevented it. Then the voice of reason would kick in. No he couldn't, that's the one thing he couldn't do. And that was the reason for the guilt.

Svetlana entered the room just as Anton set out the breakfast. Nadya was sat swinging her feet at the table, feeding a piece of toast to one of her dolls. Svetlana sat down with her. Nadya smiled at her mother then continued her game. Anton looked at them both, so alike, so special to him. He couldn't help notice the dark rings around Sveta's eyes though.

"Rough night?" he asked, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

"As usual." she replied, sipping the hot liquid.

Anton smiled at Nadya. "Do you want any cereals?"

"No thank you daddy, I'm going to go to the front room now, you want to talk to mummy." She got up and, taking her doll, went into the living room, closing the door behind her.

"Do you know that never ceases to amaze me...how does she do that." He turned to Sveta. "Is it a mage thing or something?"

"Its a woman thing." she replied. "Anyhow, how did your night go?"

"Nothing special, its very quiet in the watches at the moment. Its as if these...disappearances...have halted everything. It was a waste of time even being on duty, but it was my turn, so..." He shrugged his shoulders. "But Nadya's right, I do want to talk to you. What's up Sveta?"

She looked at him. "Nothing."

"Stop lying Sveta, you haven't slept properly in weeks. What's the problem?"

Sveta seemed to slump. "Oh Anton, I cant explain. Its just....you know how I can see threads of the future, the probabilities of things to come. Its just.......you."

"What about me?" He blanched."Am I going to die or something?"

"No, no, not die, its just.....you.....seem to disappear."

"Disappear?"

"I cant see you, your there, but your.....blank. Your thread seems to fade out somehow. And somehow its also linked to the inability to remember my dreams, and the twilight call, and a dozen other things. I just cant understand any of it. I've spoken to Olga, the same thing has started to happen to her to. To a lot of us. Its as if we're moving into a time of blindness, where any decisions we make will have all consequences hidden until its too late. The probability threads are closed. We are on our own."

This admission seemed to drain all the energy out of her. Anton just stared.

"I didn't know you relied on it that much." He said.

"Don't you?"

"I cant even do it, I live each day as it comes." He smiled a sardonic grin. "Life's more fun that way."

"All I'm saying is, be careful Anton."

"I'm off for a few nights now. What do you say to a run in the country tomorrow? We can stop off at that little tea shop Nadya likes so much. What do you say?"

"I cant tomorrow, I promised Olga I'd go shopping with her, and Nadya needs new shoes, she's growing so fast. You can come with us if you like. How about the day after?"

"Well, no thanks to the shopping, I know what you two are like, but yes to the day after."

"OK, its a date." She smiled. Anton couldn't resist, he bent down to her and kissed her gently. At that moment she looked so delicate, so fragile, and yet she contained the ability to destroy a city. What a woman!

He yawned. "I'm off to bed for a few hours." He gave Svetlana another kiss and went upstairs.

Which was just as well, or he would have seen her tears.

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Gesar was sat at the table at his favourite club, a Scottish whisky in front of him. He had gained a taste for it after a bottle was brought back for him from Edinburgh. It cost a fortune to get the real stuff in Moscow, but, in his opinion, it was worth it. Across the table from him sat Olga, with a mineral water in a tall glass, plenty of ice, the humid mid-day air condensing on the glass and running down the sides in rivulets.

"How is Timur's orientation going?" he asked.

Olga tutted. "You know as well as I do he's a cantankerous, miserable old man with no regard for anyone but himself." She laughed. "We'll get there yet. Turning someone to the light like him takes time. Just be grateful the inquisition gave him to us when they did, if they had ordered him left he would be a Dark Other by now."

"And possibly gone into the twilight for good."

Olga stopped laughing. "Yes, he's going to be a level 4 when he's ready. It wont be long now either."

"Delay his initiation. I want all this over or at least under control before we do."

"But Boris," she used his human name again, "....we cant delay too long. He's old even now....he looks old enough to be either of our fathers....and until he's initiated he will continue to age. Beyond a certain point and he wont survive it."

"I know, but Olga, I just don't want to risk him. I thought I would never see the day that it would even be possible. If Arina hadn't changed him to an Other, we were both destined to watch him die.. We still might. But better death as a human than trapped in the lowest level of the twilight for all eternity. Damn that Arina! Why couldn't she leave that book alone?"

Olga placed her hand on Gesar's. "You know she did it out of love, she thought she was repaying an impossible debt.

Gesar gazed into his glass for a moment, and then snatching it up, downed the contents in one and threw the glass against the far wall, smashing it into fragments that sparkled in the sunbeams passing through the window. Olga flinched, but no one looked around, the dampening field he had set up before they sat down hid them from sight and sound.

Gesar's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Olga wanted to hug him, but she knew he would just push her away. He pushed everyone away eventually. She knew why the latest events were hurting him, this time it could be personal.

He stood up, and removed the field. Heading for the door, Olga following, he paid his bar tab, put on his hat and headed into the street. Walking halfway down the block he stopped and turned to Olga. The flow of people moved around them like a river, a river of humanity.

"Look at them Olga, look at them all, not one of them knows what we do for them, not one of them can say to us 'Well done, its all worth it, its all good'. They don't know we exist, they don't care. They carry one with their little, petty lives while we give our all, we die for them for fuck's sake!"

Olga was shocked, in the three centuries she had know him, she had never seen him like this. And she noticed people looking at them. "Boris, please, not out here."

Gesar suddenly stopped and looked at her. "Olga.....help me......" and he collapsed to the floor.

"Boris? Boris?....Gessaaarrrr!!!!!

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Two weeks without much sleep is not advisable at any age, and your not a young man any more" the medic said, removing the blood pressure cuff from Gesar's arm.

"You don't know the half of it." Gesar hissed to himself, climbing off the gurney and slipping his shoes back on. Putting his jacket over his arm he waved his fingers through the air briefly and said "Am I free to go now?"

"What? Oh yes, by all means. You seem a pretty fit individual, but I advice you get help with the insomnia." The medic scanned through his paperwork, already distracted and not noticing Gesars departure, which was how the misdirection spell worked.

Gesar closed the door silently behind him, Olga was sat outside waiting, a cold expression on her face. She nodded silently and opened a portal to Gesars office. They stepped through, no one in the waiting room saw them, the only trace a slight whiff of ozone from the portals spell power.

Almost as the emerged from the portal, Gesar slumped into his office chair. Olga's stony expression dissolved into one of concern, she sat on the desk and grasped his hand.

"Olga, I need info on all Highers, both sides if possible. I need to know who's having disturbed sleep as well. This could mean serious problems."

"I'm on it." she said, jumping off the desk and heading for the door.

"Olga...."

"Yes?"

"Are you having disturbed sleep?"

"No."

"Olga....."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

She knew what for. As she closed his heavy office door she could here Gesar sigh.....it sent a chill down her spine, it sounded like a breath of defeat.

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"So apart from you, Nadya and Anton, all of us above level 1 are having either poor sleep or no sleep at all?"

Olga, shifted a stack of papers. "Seems so. Reports are, as well as we can make out, that the Dark Others are suffering the same. Even Zabulon has been reported to have increased his self-harming pattern. There's reports coming in from around the globe. Its everywhere."

"So why not Anton, his daughter and yourself?"

"Maybe its because Anton is only a Higher by pure accident. Or he's not been Higher for long enough...who knows why? Nadya? She's still a child, what dreams could disturb one so young, she has youth on her side... And myself, well......" she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial of pills. Gesar raised an eyebrow as she placed it in his hand.

"Sleeping tablets. Ever since I was released from my punishment as the owl, I've had damaged sleep, filled with strange dreams and visions of hunting and flying and....other things. Not all pleasant. I didn't want to say anything to anyone, its something I still have to come to terms with myself, so instead of one of our own healers I went to a standard doctor, who gave me these. I felt a failure for doing it at first. Looks like its been the right decision."

"Sleeping tablets. Something so simple can help with something like this? Get a memo out, and arrange for all Light Highers to get tablets as needed. And conduct a few experiments discretely, see if they help the lower Others who are beginning to hear the twilight call."

"And the Dark Others?"

"We need all the advantage we can get. I'm tempted to say nothing. Send a message to the Inquisition, let them pass the message out. They are bound to be having some .....difficulties... themselves." Gesar frowned. "Who would have thought that we Others would have to rely on human medicine one day." Turning over the vial in his hand be began trembling slightly.

Olga walked over to a flat cupboard in the far corner of the office. Opening the door she pulled out a small cot bed, brushing the dust off it left by the years of disuse.

"Take two now Boris, and that's an order, you're no use to us in this state. You may be a master of the power that is, but you still have a flesh body, like the rest of us."

She sat on the cot and patted it, as Gesar opened the bottle of tablets and dry swallowed two of them. He stood up and walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the cot. Olga hugged him, then stood up. Gesar lay down, the ancient springs squealing there complaint as he wriggled himself to get comfortable.

"Wake me at the start of the Night Watch." he slurred, the tablets kicking in rapidly.

Olga looked at the clock, the watch began in just three hours time. "OK, I will." she lied, as the first sleep he had known for weeks took hold.

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Anton groggily opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. Just after 3am. He swung his arm gently over Svetlana, to find and empty space. His hand felt the space where she should have been, it was cold. Still bogged down by sleep, he sat up and turned his head, trying to peer through the dimness of the room. She wasn't there. Getting up, he put on his dressing gown and went downstairs.

Sveta was sat at the kitchen table, her hair wet and glistening in the fluorescent strip light, her body wrapped in a bath towel. She gave Anton a wan smile as he entered.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a shower."

"Didn't you use the tablets the doctor brought over?"

"No I don't need them yet, I do at least get some sleep. I just fancied a shower and a coffee......" She looked at him stood with his dressing gown dishevelled and half open, his hair tousled, a lock of it hanging in front of his eyes. "....and you." Then she laughed. "Oh Anton, its doesn't matter what happens in the future. Lets live for the now."

Her eyes flashed, a spark of desire unmistakable in them. She stood up, letting the towel fall to the floor. Anton's sleep-fogged brain rapidly cleared at the sight of her perfect body, the high, still pert breasts, the smooth stomach with only a hint of stretch marks from Nadya's birth, long, shapely legs. Silently Anton smiled and took her by the hand. He led her slowly back up to the bedroom and closed the door.

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Zabulon was sat watching news feeds coming in on his computer. Sucking ice cubes to help numb the pain of his scorched throat he studied the lists of Others recorded as missing around the world that day. The pattern was uneven, sporadic, some areas being hit heavier than others. Russia was hit bad, China only lightly, sections of Europe the same, North and South America had pockets of heavy losses intermingled with no losses at all. Africa had been hit the worse, Others were quite rare there at any time, but their numbers had been decimated.

He closed the lists and opened up the file containing the details of all the artefacts ready. Archive had worked hard, there were hundreds. Zabulon felt a moment of anxiety, this file represented years of work, if it didn't work it would leave the Dark weaken in Russia for years. He had seen Gesars list, smaller than his by a considerable amount but he had no doubt it was accurate. The Light never did see the sense in forward planning when it came to the power game.

Zabulon looked at the clock. 4am....later today he would have to arrange these 'items' delivered and installed in Gesars office. Of course there would be a few 'extras', an opportunity like this couldn't be past up, a free snoop. Although the chances were they would just get burned out with the rest.

He patted a small box on his desk. This one though, this is the special one, not to trigger till the conversion spell is over.

He knew Gesar would ring later with the final arrangements for the installations. He had been careful at the Light end to keep it quiet. Zabulon had no such difficulty. People had learned early on never to question him, just to obey. The artefacts themselves were already packed and stood in a box in the corner of his office. Efficiency. And Obedience.

And Revenge. He patted the box again, no one makes him look a fool, but more than once was just too much to live with. Zabulon rubbed his eyes. The memo about sleeping tablets arrived via the Inquisition a few hours before. He wasn't fooled, sleep wasn't the answer for him, he'd seen the effect of lost sleep on his fellow watch members, but to him it was just discomfort. Sweet, sensuous discomfort.

Shutting his PC down, Zabulon rose from his chair and left the office. Patrolling the long corridors of the Dark Watches building aimlessly, he frowned. It was going to be another long night.

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In another long corridor, a Dark Other strode in long, ground-eating steps, carrying a wad of papers in his hands. Ignoring the doors either side of him he aimed for the large oak double entrance before him. Rapping three times but not waiting for an answer, he went in. The room beyond the doors was large, almost stately. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with huge bookcases filled with ancient books. At the far end was a large desk, filled with papers and files. At the desk, facing the door, was sat a man. Small framed, thin to the point of gauntness with thinning grey hair and a pair of horn rimmed glasses. An unremarkable looking man. But his aura spoke otherwise. It screamed hidden power.

The Striding man stepped up to the desk and placed the papers on top of the growing pile.

"More reports Master Inquisitor. All of the same. Plus the analysis summary from the investigators. I think you would be interested in there recommendations."

"Oh?" The Master Inquisitor raised an eyebrow, the Dark aide couldn't help but feel that the entire contents were already know to him. But the Head of the Worlds Inquisition still gave the analysis a perfunctory glance while the aide stood silently waiting. Eventually the Master Inquisitor threw the papers back onto the desk.

"I assume you read this?" he said.

"Yes sir, It was my job to type up the summary."

"Your thoughts on these...recommendations please."

The aide swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "I think it would be...difficult...to implement, sir."

"Difficult? Damned impossible I'd say, but it does strongly seem that it may be the only way to limit the, lets say losses, that we are experiencing."

"But sir! We couldn't enforce it, its impossible!"

The Master Inquisitor slowly removed his glasses and, taking out a soft cloth, began to polish the lenses. "We can strongly suggest that the watches comply......and what may happen if they don't."

The aide paled. "But its what makes us....well.....us!"

The Head Inquisitor placed his glasses on the desk. "Take a memo, aide....'In 48 hours we, the Inquisition, request the presence of all the Worlds Watch heads at the Headquarters of the Master Inquisitor to discuss the imminent closure of the twilight to Others. Attendance required.' Include a copy of the analysis and send that out to all the heads. The only way to try and stop this is to ban all others from using the twilight, starve it of power. No more initiations, no more short cuts, no more opportunities for it to contaminate us."

The aide was shaking as he retrieved he file from the desk. "But where does that leave the rest of us?" He whispered.

An ironic, almost sarcastic smile, twisted the Master Inquisitors face.

"I hope you can remember how to use public transport......."

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"So what do you think then?" Sveta was sipping a cappuccino and watching the traffic roll by. The café was one of the newer kind, the recent trend of imitating a French Parisian street café while still retaining its Russian identity, samovars and espresso machines side by side.

Olga shuffled her feet into a more comfortable position in between the shopping bags. "I don't know what to think. Gesar is keeping me out of it, its the first time he's never confided me what's in his mind. I can only think its because he knows I wont approve, or even try to stop him."

"Any guesses what he's up to?"

"No....but its something big. He's been in archives a lot, bringing out a ton of things we're not suppose to see. He's been talking on the direct line to Zabulon almost hourly, he wont use the twilight to communicate with him, which means he's worried about being listened-in to. He's been issuing orders everywhere, seemingly condensing the watch down to a solid core and cancelling the outlying patrols. Its as if he's expecting something.....I just wish I knew what."

"Has it anything to do with the message sent from the Inquisition head-office?"

"Could be. But then that's got all the watches the world over running scared. When the Master Inquisitor 'requests' something you know its going to be bad."

Olga sipped her mineral water while Sveta continued to watch the traffic, a cold, deadening feeling beginning to creep inside her.

"Olga.......I'm not sure but......I think Anton is going to be involved somewhere."

Olga raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"Its just his 'future' seems to blank out." Sveta continued. "I cant seem to see him in a week or so's time. He just goes blank."

"Dead?" Olga was always blunt and to the point, so much so it made Sveta wince at times.

"No, he just.....disappears. But then nothing is right at the moment. I'm not right. I was awake most of last night, Anton found me after I'd had a shower and a hot drink, trying to get to sleep again." A wry smile crossed her face. "I didn't tell him I'd been awake for hours. I'm trying to avoid the pills yet, I still need to be alert for Nadya in case she needs me in the night."

"How is Nadya? Her sleep still ok?"

"Like the proverbial babe. She's either too young to be affected or just too far above it all. I wish I was young again."

Olga stared. "Your not the only one."

"Oh sorry Olga, I didn't mean it like that!"

Olga threw her head back and burst out with a loud and exuberant laugh, tears streaming down her face. Once she managed to catch her breath again she said "Oh Sveta...your face then! Thank you, that's the best laugh I've had in months."

Sveta smiled. "I'm glad I was of some use to someone." she said, and started laughing herself. "Oh well, I'd better be getting back. I've left Anton with Nadya."

"Don't you mean Nadya with Anton?"

"I KNOW what I mean!" They both burst out laughing again, but it still didn't dispel Svetas growing unease.

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"Daddy, can I have some more ice cream?" Nadya was stood holding her bowl out to Anton, almost like a scene from Oliver Twist. But no Dickens character ever had such a big smile on their face, or chocolate ice cream running down their chin.

Anton took the bowl from Nadya and placed it in the sink, wiping her mouth with a tea towel. He shook his head and grinned. "Mummy would be very cross if we ate all her ice cream."

"Oh that's alright daddy, we could say you ate it all."

Anton froze, amazed at her cheekiness, when he realised she was playing with him. Suddenly Nadya jumped on him and began to rough play, tumbling over and over with her daddy, the squeals of delight lighting up his world.

Nadya stopped abruptly and stood up, walking away from Anton.

"Nadya.........What's wrong......?" Anton's voice trailed off.

"Its alright daddy, the phone is going to ring for you."

Five seconds later the strident trilling of the phone echoed through the kitchen. Anton still found Nadya's uncanny ability to 'know' things amazing, and more than a little unsettling. Even for an Other she was already showing exceptional abilities at such a young age. He wondered if there were a level beyond a zero point.....

He answered the phone on the seventh ring. "Yes?" he said....no point elaborating, few people knew this number, all of them part of the watch.

The voice on the other end was clear and concise. "Anton, I need you in the office tomorrow morning. Its important, no excuses."

"But its my day off, I'm suppose to be taking Sveta and Nadya out for the day, for a run in the country."

"Cancel it, your needed here. You will be here."

"Dammit Gesar, I want two days off in lieu of tomorrow."

"Agreed."

"You were a bit quick to agree then, none of the usual battles. I assume its something dangerous you want me for then?"

"Tomorrow, my office." Then the phone was disconnected.

"Ever the charmer", hissed Anton, as he replaced the handset. He looked around for Nadya. She was sat in the front room, watching her favourite DVD.

"Nadya....about tomorrow....."

"Its alright daddy I already know." She ran over to him and hugged him. "And I love you daddy, no matter what happens."

Anton's blood ran cold. "What will happen Nadya? Its just a normal day at the office."

Nadya looked into his eyes but said nothing, she just sat back down and carried on watching her DVD.

Anton backed out of the room and closed the door. Cold sweat ran down his spine. He knew instinctively something was seriously wrong, it didn't need his daughter caution to alert him to the tone of Gesar's voice. Urgent, almost desperate.

He heard the front door open. Sveta staggered through the door with armfuls of shopping.

"Anton? I'm home. I got most of what I went for. I've got this adorable dress for Nadya's birthday party, it'll be a bit big yet, but there's months to go, and she's growing so fast, it should fit then. And I had a lovely coffee at the new café opened on the square.....Anton? What's wrong?" She saw Anton's expression.

"Gesar just phoned. I'm sorry Sveta, I've got to take a rain check on tomorrow, he's just called me into the office in the morning."

Sveta dropped the packages she was carrying and threw her arms around him. "Oh Anton, Olga warned me that Gesar was planning something....and I knew you were going to be involved somehow. Cant you refuse? Just this once?"

"I cant Sveta, he sounded......" Anton swallowed. "I was expecting something myself. There has to be a reason I'm the only higher in the world who isn't getting disturbed sleep. I know you lied to me last night, you weren't in bed most of the night, it was cold when I got up to find you." He smiled. "It soon warmed up for a bit later though."

"I don't like this, not one bit. Tomorrow I'm going to keep an eye on you Anton, whether you like it or not."

His smile faded. "I can't stop you Sveta, but keep an eye on Nadya more. She's more important than me now."

Sveta shivered, there was more than a hint of defeat in his voice, as though he knew and accepted what might happen to him, what was going to happen to him. He always claimed he had no ability to see the shadows of the future but at that moment Sveta was convinced he could feel their caress deep in his subconscious. Not that it helped. At that moment in time, she felt nothing would help.

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Gesar hung up the phone. 'And so it has begun' he thought. He hated it, he hated the whole affair. He knew he was being manipulated, but also that there wasn't a lot of choice in the matter. Anton was going to become the proverbial sacrificial lamb. The opportunity to permanently remove so many artefacts from the Dark archives was worth the chance though, even if it meant losing one of his best operatives, the expenditure alone would set the Dark back many years. If he had to expend Anton, better this way that him being taken in the back by some level 7 punk in a dark alley during a Night-watch patrol.

Gesar had seen some of the items Zabulon had brought and was still bringing. Some of them were centuries, possible even millennia, old. It was as if the Dark Watch Head were throwing everything into a single effort. More effort than it should need. It was the sheer number of assemble articles that aroused his suspicions. Needless to say a lot of the Lights back catalogue was going into the venture as well, but not as many, and Zabulon didn't suspect it. His judgement seemed clouded by something. Gesar wished he knew what. But then his own judgement wasn't exactly perfect at the moment either.

Timur. The matter of his son disturbed him greatly. The predicted ban on the usage of the twilight could mean his death. He wasn't young now, the longer his initiation was left, the older he was getting. Eventually he would be too old to survive initiation. Gesar didn't think he could stand to 'lose' his son a second time.

Finishing a video file on his laptop, and adding it to the archive on Egor, knowing Anton would access it afterwards, if he survived, Gesar reread the memo from the Master Inquisitor for the hundredth time. He had already made travel arrangements, he would leave as soon after the meeting with Anton as he could. No portal, Gesar expected to be too drained after, it was a private jet he commissioned for occasions such as this.

The watch had there orders. All of them were being kept 'in-house'. If the twilight ban became official he didn't want any operative being caught out. Others outside of the watches were also outside of the inquisitions direct control, but a breach by the watches could involve severe punishments. Zabulon had assured him he was doing the same, and from all reports he was telling the truth. That was chilling in its own right.

All the watches around the world were doing the same. It occurred to Gesar though, that while the watches were not abroad and patrolling, what was happening outside of there observation? It was as if they were all being kept out of the way deliberately....but there was nothing any of them could do about it.

Gesar stood, stretched and walked through a side door, where his small, utilitarian en-suite bathroom waited in windowless room not much bigger than a store cupboard, which is what it use to be. He ran a sink full of cold water, splashing his face and hair. He stared in the mirror by the light of the open door, his face casting a shadow on the glass. Zabulon was due to arrive with the last of the artefacts and to begin the long tasks of priming them all. It was going to be another sleepless night. Letting the water drain away he used a quick spell to dry his hair and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He looked longingly at where the cot bed was, but it would remain unused.

A portal opened unannounced, but Gesar knew who it would be, the audacity of its creator the only one who had temporary clearance through the permanent alarm shield around the building. Zabulon stepped through carrying two briefcases and unceremoniously dumped them on the floor.

"Well? Did you phone him?" he said, as he began to release the coded locks on the cases.

"Its done" replied Gesar, "but I don't like it."

"What is there to like about any of this. Never mind, there's work to do." Zabulon began unpacking item after item. Gesar sighed and joined in.

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"Semyon? Sveta here, look, are you free tomorrow? ......You are? Good, I think I'm really going to need your help. ........Anton is going to get dragged into one of Gesars schemes again. .........I know, I know, I shouldn't interfere, but something isn't right. ........I'm scared Sem, can you come over later? I need your advice....you can, thanks. He'll be out about 3pm, he's taking Nadya to the cinema to watch that movie she has been nagging about......ok, see you at 3....ok....bye...."

Sveta hung up the phone, she didn't know who else to talk to. Olga was her friend but she was also Gesars lover for some two hundred years. Sem was Nadya's godfather and the only one she felt she could trust. But then she couldn't even trust herself any more. The whole world seemed somehow disjointed to her, not as it should be, as though things were changing beyond there understanding. What ever happened though, she had to try and save Anton, even if it was from himself.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Thanks for coming over Sem." Sveta said, closing the door behind him. "We don't have too long and a lot to sort out"

"No problem my dear. Anything I can do to help and you know I will." Semyon took off his coat and started to hang it up on the coat rack, hesitated and then draped it over his arm. "In case I have to leave suddenly." he explained.

Sveta nodded. "Its ok Sem, I understand. Come, sit down."

Semyon sat in the large, comfy armchair, his favourite spot when babysitting Nadya, who loved to climb on his knee when smaller and listen to stories about times past. Semyon was an excellent story-teller, having well over 300 years of life experience to draw stories from. That and a natural flare for the dramatic. In truth, he was still a child at heart.

Sveta filled in Semyon about the situation quickly, Semyon adding small bits of information he had discovered himself while at the main watch office.

"So to sum up, with what you've told me, " Sveta said "...Gesar is planning to do something to Anton, with Zabulons help. Which is not a lot to go on. What ever it is, its not good. And our only plan is to try and snatch him back when they have finished with him." She added bitterly "If there's anything left to snatch back."

Semyon frowned. "Whatever it is, its going to require an immense amount of power. I've seen the manifests on the artefacts Gesar has had ordered up to his office during the past few days, and I have registered the items that's passed through a direct portal to his office from the Dark watch HQ. Its my job, and Gesar never told me not to, as if he wants his current activity logging for some reason."

Sveta nodded. "I cant eavesdrop on his office, its shielded, I could break through it easily enough but it would be detectable. I don't want to make the situation any worse for Anton....if it could be."

"And that shield is bound to be strengthened during...well...whatever it is that's being planned." Semyon noticed the look on Sveta's face. "I'm sorry Svetlana, I can be insensitive at times. Is there any way you can persuade Anton not to go?"

"I don't think it would do any good, it was a direct command from Gesar...if he doesn't go they will probably just snatch him, and I cant shield him 24/7, not from Gesar, I'll be superior in power one day, but not yet. Not for such a protracted length of time. If he has that many artefacts at his disposal as well........"

"I shouldn't ask but couldn't Nadya help?"

"Sem, you know as well as I do extra power wouldn't help. Too much would just tear him in half as we tried to pull him through the portal. No, what we need is a small spell, as hidden as possible, which lets us know when Gesars guard is dropped, then act fast."

"That's my department then, leave it to me. When I get back to the HQ I'll set it straight away. It wouldn't be the first time I've done that."

"Ok, once Anton's gone to the office tomorrow I'll lock this place up, it's the first place they will look for him. What should I do with Nadya though?"

"Take her to my place, Mrs Skovich my neighbour will happily watch her for an hour or so. Nadya loves the old dear, And Mrs Skovich spoils her terribly when Nadya stays at mine. My neighbour misses her own grandchildren so much......nasty business that."

Sveta nodded slowly, Mrs Skovich's grandchildren had been killed by a rogue Vampire many years before, her only daughter and son-in-law killed in a car crash when the grandchildren were still babies. She had raised them, only to have them snatched from her by a Dark one hunting without a permit. Semyon had personally dispatched that one himself, in front of his neighbour. She was one of the few humans who knew Others existed, but gratitude guaranteed her silence. Now she fussed over Semyon, looking after him and keeping a watch on his flat when he was away on 'business'.

"Ok, I'll drop her off before we portal there." Sveta scratched her head. "Can you think of anything else we might need?"

"Money. Can always do with that. And some spare clothes for you and Nadya as well. Somehow I think you might have to lie low for a few days."

"I can handle Gesar, don't you worry."

"I wasn't thinking of just him."

Sveta raised her eyebrow. "You think I'd have to deal with Zabulon as well? Oh I already know who's bloody idea all this is...it doesn't take a genius to work out who's behind all this shit. I can deal with him to."

Semyon smiled. "I'm sure you can my dear, but what would Nadya do without a mummy if you cant? Let the friction die down for a day or two first, save any unnecessary unpleasantness later."

Sveta jerked. "Could it come to that?" she whispered.

"Without forethought."

"Thank you Sem, without your steady influence I might have tried to kill the pair of them."

"Yes I know dear. Now then, how about a nice coffee?" and Semyon smiled.

Sveta smiled back and went into the kitchen.

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Anton opened the front door, Nadya skipped in, clutching a small teddy bear she had persuaded him to buy her on the way home. As she ran up to her room with her prize, Anton looked about him. It was a small house, but one of the few places he had ever felt really at home in. Morbid thoughts had been plaguing him during his entire trip out with Nadya. He knew why, and tried to make the afternoon the best he could, after all it might be the last.

Anton noticed faint aura traces in the living room, Semyon had been. He knew Sveta would call him, he was like family, the father she had never really known as a child. It meant she was upset over something, he already knew what, and he hope she hadn't planned anything foolish tomorrow. There was no point asking her as she wouldn't tell him, and besides, there wasn't any guarantee that anything bad would happen, it was just a meeting with Gesar. Trying to fool himself was easier than admitting the obvious.

Throwing his jacket over the armchair he could hear Sveta upstairs fussing over Nadya and running her bath before bedtime. He went to the kitchen and without thinking reached for the bottle of alcohol, taking a long drain directly from it. Its bitter-sweet taste did nothing but numb his mouth on the way down. He took a second drink, then sat down, placing the bottle in front of him and staring at it, watching the way the light played across its surface, waiting, hoping, for a revelation on how to get out of the situation. He could think of none.

An hour past. Sveta was taking extra time with Nadya, trying to avoid him. The bottle was finished. Anton allowed its effects to sink in while he went to the drinks cabinet in the living room and began to drink it all. Trying to wash away thought, guilt, fear, love, any feelings at all. If he died right there it would be a blessing but even alcohol poisoning was denied to him. He flung his glass across the room, smashing it against the wall, he picked up an emptied bottle and did the same thing. Why him? Why was he an Other, why couldn't he just be human? He raised a second bottle above his head.

Sveta raced downstairs. "Anton!" she commanded. "Stop that now, your frightening Nadya!"

Anton dropped the bottle at his feet, it bounced on the carpet and rolled away, the few drops of wine still in it leaving a small stain. Sveta raced over and flung her arms around him.

"Oh light Anton, what are we going to do? What are we going to do?" she almost sobbed the last words out.

He couldn't answer.

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The Inquisition building was dimmed, although active 24/7, local time night was observed with the internal lighting. The Master Inquisitor paced in his office, back and forth. Disturbing news had reached him just an hour before. Something was wrong. Archives had informed him the book of destiny had begun to emit a subsonic hum, a vibration that reached into the twilight itself. The fragment of the chalk of destiny they had managed to obtain, kept at a different location, was silent, no indication that it was trying to be used. So it was something about the book itself. He himself had opened the book to see inside, but nothing untoward was happening, its pages remained blank and unfathomable.

The Master Inquisitor was not though, inside complex emotions were in turmoil. He remembered a time when the book hadn't existed, its control was still beyond the inquisitions influence. He didn't like anything beyond their control....his control. He didn't even know how the book came into being, not positively, the chalk had come later, much later. The book was an ancient thing, but not as ancient as he was.

What disturbed him though, was that the low hum only started after he issued the orders for the meeting to come, including the blocking spells prepared to prevent the usage of the twilight by the Watches.

But it had to be done.....despite the consequences. Or was it trying to tell him there was a different way.... or something else.....

The Master Inquisitor glanced at his desk where the days new reports on Other losses sat unopened, the contents already known via a quick synopsis typed up by his aide. No, there was no other way, it had to be done like this, at least until the Inquisition found out what that damnable witches warning was about. A week was all that was needed, a week's break to try and find some answers, and save some lives. That is if it turned out to be anything, or just a false alarm. The humming book didn't do anything to dispel the rising anxiety among the Inquisitors though, or himself. Something was coming. The book would have a daily watch placed on it, in case of any changes. There was nothing else they could do....

Its just a long day, he told himself, its just going to be a long day.

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Anton dressed silently and slipped out of the door into the cool dawn air. No need to wake them....he had blown a kiss through Nadya's door before leaving. It was a quite a few miles to the office but he decided to walk, letting the cool air revive him and wake him fully. He also couldn't stand to say goodbye, it had been said through the tears last night, the frantic lovemaking, the talking past midnight. Sveta never noticed him place the sleeping tablets into her drink. When she finally drifted off to sleep it had been almost time for him to leave.

Pulling the neck of his jumper up, despite the season the mornings were still cold, Anton headed off towards the Light Headquarters. Each step felt weighted down by lead, But he kept going.

Its just a long day, he told himself, its just going to be a long day.

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Gesar sat at his desk. It had been a long nights vigil. He didn't want to leave the artefacts on their own overnight, not now they had been activated. And not with Zabulon having free access to his office until it was over.

Sleep wouldn't have come that night anyhow, even with chemical help. The guilt was already burrowing deep into Gesar's psyche, he was having difficulty convincing himself that the benefits outweighed the cost, and how he was going to handle Sveta afterwards. He had no doubts he would have to, personally he didn't think Anton would even survive the conversion process, but if he did, what then? It had never been attempted before, even the scrap of photocopied book Zabulon had stated this...they were just working on a theoretical possibility, that and the fact that Anton was the only candidate possible. But it had to be tried.....

Its just a long day, he told himself, its just going to be a long day.

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Zabulon was nervous, a lot was riding on this day. So many threads coming together, so many chances for things to go wrong. He patted the box from his desk again, now in his pocket. He'd made as many preparations as possible. He had a Mage on standby to teleport him to the Inquisitors meeting later. He would be too tired to do it himself, but then he always had subordinates make the portals....they would never know. And they had the misguided belief it put them in his favour....idiots.

He stretched. It had been an arduous visit to the boy last night to tell him what to expect. All that hate in the boys eyes. Good, hate made you strong. Strong enough to get done what needed doing hopefully, after that he didn't care. Every one is expendable at some point, even himself, he knew that, its what kept HIM strong.

Zabulon shuddered. Then after....that damn meeting. He scratched the Watch seal on his chest, the thing that bound him irrevocably to what ever the Inquisition decided. He yawned...and shivered at the same time.......

Its just a long day, he told himself, its just going to be a long day.

Except this was going to be his day....................

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Sit down Anton." Gesar gestured towards the familiar chair. "There's a little matter I want to discuss."

"Cut to the chase, what is it?" Anton replied, sitting down.

As he sat, Gesar sent a silent signal to Zabulon who waited in the corridor outside. It was pre-agreed not to have the Head of the Dark watch in the office when Anton arrived. That way Zabulon could cover the door and apply the shield so Anton couldn't escape. Zabulon knocked and entered in one fluid movement, closing the shield behind him. He almost burst out laughing at Anton's surprised face. The tracksuit he wore had a more serious purpose later though, but the humour, almost mocking, mood couldn't be kept out of his voice.

"I was relaxing...what? Am I not allowed some down time as well?" A blatant lie, but Zabulon couldn't resist it.

While Anton was staring at Zabulon, Gesar nodded to the Dark boss, who sat in the old, big armchair which was kept near the door. He could tell this disturbed the young Light Other. Zabulon nodded back, the barriers were in place. Gesar seemed to steel himself before he spoke.

"Anton" he said, in the steadiest voice he could manage,"I have called you here on an important matter. Svetlana's initiation of Nadya was a necessity but its caused us a problem. The sides are now seriously unbalanced in favour of the light. Now as things go I wouldn't normally complain but......" Gesar turned to Zabulon, "I think this should be your part of the story, Great one".

Gesar had lost the will to continue. It was time Zabulon did some of the dirty work, it was more his line....

Anton, with an unreadable expression on his face, turned to the Dark one and said "Well?"

"Always the impatient one Anton" replied Zabulon, lacing his voice with as much chill as he could muster. "It seems that your little girls initiation has caught the attention of the twilight....enough to threaten another mirror. Recently we initiated a new witch, only a 6th level but with an uncanny ability to read the future probability lines...better than even myself and Gesar here....and I do not say that lightly. She has said a Mirror is imminent in 7 days time. Normally we would weather this, and enjoy watching the light lose a few, shall we say, extras.."

Zabulon looked at Gesar's pale face, he felt triumphant, this was going ahead now, and the Light Leader knew it, and knew he couldn't stop it. Zabulon grinned at him, Anton noticed. "But with the recent...events...in the twilight, we think this time it may not be so simple".

"What do you mean Zabulon?" Anton asked.

This was where Zabulon would continue with the story as he saw it so far. It was possibly true, but at that point no one yet knew, and for his purpose it didn't matter if it was the biggest pile of bull going....

"The twilight is empty....and growing hungry."

Anton snorted out a laugh. "How can it be hungry, it cannot feed off others, we're the parasites."

Zabulon could see Anton start to think, it wasn't hard to know the train of thought he was following. "Yes Anton, we both heard the call to."

The Dark watch leader took pleasure in watching Anton squirm in his chair. He knew that Anton would be thinking it was mind-reading, but he was an open book to read, all his emotions and thoughts were displayed on his face for anyone subtle enough to read. Anton was a glaringly simple man, strangely for a moment, Zabulon felt a pang of pity. It quickly passed.

Zabulon continued. "The twilight is calling....and its others who are feeling it, all others, not just light, not just dark, all. Its "lonely" if such a thing were actually possible, and to "cut to the chase" as you so nicely put it, both myself and Gesar are worried that this time a mirror might not stop at just readdressing the balance."

"So what has this got to do with me?" Anton asked.

Gesar sat on the front of his desk and looked closely at Anton. He hated this, he knew Zabulon was calling the shots at the moment, but there was nothing he could do. Removing that much power from the hands of the Dark ones couldn't be passed up. He didn't think for a second Anton could succeed in the task they were going to commit him to. And as for a mirror.......

Feeling guilt stabbing him like a painful shaft, Gesar said, "You wont like this Anton, but Egor has to be initiated into the Dark. He has the potential to be as powerful as Svetlana and would help at least in part with the imbalance....at least long enough until something else can be arranged."

Gesar saw his words begin to settle on Anton, who blurted out, "But why are you asking me? I cant initiate him? Isn't there someone in the Dark watch who can gain his trust?"

Zabulon rose and stood behind Anton. "I wish there were Anton". He reached into his pocket and palmed the tiny pin artefact. Stroking the back of Anton's neck he managed to insert it into Anton's collar, as Anton stiffened and stifled a cry.

"But as you know Egor is a smart kid...he knows when we approach him. I'm looking forward to his 'joining' with us...but how still eluded me, until now".

The stage was set! The catalyst planted on him. Zabulon was screaming with joy inside, outside he remained stony faced. Once the conversion is done the energy surge forced on Anton would trigger it. He would find it, and not be able to resist using it. That would be his downfall.

"But surely all you need to do is put him into a negative mood and drag him in". Anton knew it wasn't that easy, it was his nerves talking.

"No, no, if only it were that simple, Egor isn't technically uninitiated...he was "becoming" one of us until someone decided to play with a piece of chalk". Zabulon stared at Gesar, You know I'm right he thought. Gesar remained silent, ignoring Zabulon and lost in his own thoughts.

The Dark one continued. "No, its not that simple now...when Egor enters the twilight this time he will know what to expect and guard against it. He has to enter with a Dark other now, and the twilight will use the ...Pattern if you like.. of the dark one to initiate him into that mould. Unfortunately, due to his potential power, a normal Dark other will not do...it can be a..painful..process even to someone equal to the one being initiated this way."

Gesar began to feel a little insulted that Zabulon would state such an obvious thing to Anton, the condescension was unnecessary. He decided to cut in the conversation. Frowning he said "Its standard procedure as you know to initiate someone with a higher level other just in case."

"Quite, quite" sighed Zabulon, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. Gesar continued to frown. "But the fact of the matter is Egor knows or can sense, either way its the same, our higher ones. An the Inquisition is digging its heels in and demanding that we settle this matter ourselves, seeing as mirrors tend to be regional. In my opinion Edgar stole so many of there precious items and pulled so many of their teeth they're afraid to even lift their pathetic heads out of the statute books".

Zabulon bent down and spoke close to Anton's ear, the urge to gloat was becoming irresistible. "No, what we need is a Higher Light one to change, one who he wouldn't think of as being Dark".

He took delight in Anton's discomfort as Anton yelled "Not Nadya....no, she's only just become a light other, your not having her!"

Zabulon burst out laughing. The pleasure of watching Anton squirm was becoming almost a sensual thing to him. He was having difficulty hiding his glee. "Oh Anton...if it were that simple the mirror could be held off forever, swapping your daughter back and forth between the watches, and she could to if she wanted to. A zero point doesn't come along very often. The problem would be that eventually she would either choose permanently one side or the other, or be driven totally insane....best to leave well alone in that department. No what we need is a more permanent solution."

Zabulon faked concern."No, we need Egor...more than one Egor really but one is all we have for now. When we had him the last time..." Zabulon looked sideways to see if Gesar would argue the point, "we could tell he was at least level 1 material, even as a higher with a bit of maturity. And with a few new acquisitions we've made on the way " he was willing Gesar to say something "...the balance, while not restored, will at least be swinging back the way it ought to be. "

"So what do you want me for, I'm no help to you, or hadn't you noticed I'm the wrong shade?"

Gesar decided to end Anton's discomfort and get the whole thing over with. As calmly as he could he said "Anton, look at this office in the twilight".

That was Zabulons cue, he began to weave the complex transformation spell at the same time Gesar started to weave his portion of it. They both began to draw in the power from the artefacts in the room, triggering them all into activity at the same time. They could see Anton dropping into the first level to take a look. Gesar felt as though he were ready to burst, Zabulon felt the same, and a little concerned that the flow of energy in the room might be beyond his full control. He channelled a little more into the shield around the office to relieve the pressure. As Anton returned from the twilight, the look of sheer terror on his face gave Zabulon an erection, delicious fear! Anton was staring at Gesar. Zabulon felt the power peak, he nodded to Gesar who rose and stood by Anton.

"Anton, there is a way."

Zabulon suddenly grasped his hands around Anton's neck as realisation crossed his face, a fraction of a second later Gesars hands joined the Dark Ones. The two heads released the spell into him. Anton screamed as it hit, automatically trying to defend himself, but the shields were shattered before he could create them. The artefacts began to release there full power, vortexing around the three mages. He tried counter spells but was out classed. His pain wasn't alone though, it was amplified through Gesar and Zabulon as well. Both gritted there teeth as they began to manoeuvre Anton's soul, Gesar pushing, Zabulon pulling. Anton screamed again, joined by both Watch leaders. He fought fiercely with a strength that astonished Zabulon, who was revelling in the pain. Then Anton passed out.

But the work wasn't done. Without any resistance against them now, the Dark and Light completed the spell, draining themselves. They pulled/pushed Anton into the first level of the twilight, using it to create the Dark transformation. While there, Zabulon, in demon form, triggered the artefact attached to Anton's collar. Gesar, taking the form of a huge bear, slashed Anton's chest with his huge talons, tearing out a gouge of flesh.

Zabulon almost faltered, was Gesar trying to kill the man before he had chance to carry out Zabulons plan? Gesar started at the Dark head through the gloom, his bear-eyes glowing red like camera flashed retinas.

The last of the artefacts in the room gave up there power, the spell was complete. All of them fell out of the twilight, no power left to maintain their presence in it. Gesar trembled on the floor, pulling himself up to a sitting position. Zabulon dragged himself over to the chair by the door, determined for once, to be a head higher than the mighty Gesar. He was still shaken though, by the savage mauling the Light one had given Anton. He glanced across to Anton, still slumped in the further chair, expecting him to be dead. He saw no blood, no marks, although his shirt was ripped in several places. Zabulon realized the slash itself was in the twilight only. He strained himself to glance into the twilight, the marks were clearly visible there.

"Why?" Zabulon asked.

Gesar looked up and opened his hand, the one that had just moments before a mighty paw. On his palm glowed a small ball of fire, which slowly shrank and faded away.

Zabulon recognised it instantly. "His watch seal, you removed his watch seal! What are you trying to do, kill him?"

"No, save him." Gesar brushed the hand down his chest as if to wipe away the last of the residue seal. "At least I've given him a chance this way."

"A chance?"

"The inquisition decision. What if they do ban twilight use? What chance would he have then? This way he's not bound by anything that the inquisition decrees."

Gesar held his head in his hands. The now quiet room seemed almost deafening in its silence, their breathing echoing in their ears. He could feel, outside of the shielded room, someone trying to get through, someone desperate with worry. He knew who it was. And he was sorry, for once in his life he was sorry. Tears began to involuntary squeeze out from the corners of his eyes.

Anton stirred.

"He's coming round." Zabulon whispered, Gesar didn't show any sign that he had heard. The Dark one shuddered, he was still holding part of the shield up, it was draining what little strength he had left, but he wasn't willing to let it go yet, not before Gesar released his part of it first. But Zabulon was delighted, Anton survived and was already transforming. He had been much stronger than Zabulon thought, but this only caused a moments hesitation. Everything was working to plan.

As Anton's eyes opened, Zabulon was hard pressed to conceal a smile, a smile he couldn't keep from his eyes.

"By the Dark! Such power! Gesar, why don't we just keep this one and call it keeps eh?"

Gesar looked up, unable to conceal his damp eyes.

"That was not the agreement and you know it. And the power was not his, he is no match for even one of us, what you felt was the twilight fighting back, we were fighting against that, not him. But, by the light, I didn't expect it to be so hard."

Anton tried to stand, visibly trembling he whispered "What have you done to me?"

Zabulon could hardly contain his vindictive mirth. "Enter the twilight" he said.

Gesar only nodded, bracing himself for what would come next. Anton's stare glazed for a moment, fading a little into the gloom, then he keeled over, vomiting on the floor, curled up into a ball.

"What have you done to me? What have you done?" Anton's plaintive cry was like a dagger in Gesars heart, but he steeled himself against it.

"I told you there was a way" he said, pulling himself up off the floor and standing.

Zabulon couldn't contain himself any more. "Welcome to my world." he gloated, no longer able to keep the smile from his face.

Anton protested. "But why? Why me? You could have asked me first! I cant be a Dark other, I didn't... I.." He broke down in tears, Gesar watched with iron silence.

Zabulon weakly rose and moved to Anton's side without him noticing. He couldn't resist it, he had to say it. In his most quietest voice he spoke into Anton's ear "I told you I would keep an eye on you...now your mine."

Gesar was recovering his hard exterior fast. "Zabulon! Stop scaring the boy! Anton...we did something that was suppose to be impossible. We...changed...you to the dark against your will"

Anton knew. "Arina...that damned book"

Gesar nodded, "The Fuaran was many things, including damned".

Anton screamed and lunged for Gesar, but Zabulon caught him, relishing the discomfort he caused the ex-light one with his vice-like grip. Anton screamed again. "You bastard! You've destroyed me!"

Zabulon was growing tired, he was drained and in no mood for melodramatics any more. He decided to finish the story, but with his own twists.

"Oh stop being so dramatic, It had to be against your will, its not permanent, if it had been your idea...it would have been. Such high morals you light ones have, you would have sacrificed yourself willingly to save Nadya."

"Save....?"

"If a mirror comes, who would be the first one it would seek out?"

Gesar nodded, "As much as I hate to say it, for once Zabulon is right. Nadya is the keystone to the imbalance. Egor will go part way to addressing that. It had to be you, Egor knows you as a light other, not a dark. Once you initiate him it will be too late."

"Once I initiate him? What makes you think I can persuade him?"Anton almost sounded whining.

Gesar starred into Anton's eyes. "Innocent lives may have to be sacrificed, as a light other you couldn't do it, as a dark you will at least have some protection from the guilt".

Zabulon was eager to get it all over with, he was beginning to use up his reserves on the shield, he was starting to become 'soft', his outline wavering. "You must get him mad, sad, bad, before you drag him into the twilight....then it will do the rest...you initiate the same way as a light other...the twilight will forge him for us"

Gesar noticed Zabulon struggling to maintain his form. He strongly wished he could leave the Dark one to drain himself to death, but now wasn't the time, he may yet be needed. Gesar released his part of the shield spell. "Drop the shield now, the deed is done" he said to Zabulon.

Zabulon almost sighed as he stopped the spell, but he was still gloating, he didn't drop first. He began to recharge slowly almost immediately, but it had been a close thing there, Gesar to, began to recover. He couldn't resist it, though, he couldn't stop gloating at Anton.

Zabulon reached out and shook Anton's hand...."Welcome to the Day watch fellow Dark magician...and may your stay be a long one".

Gesar could feel the presence outside the room pressing, probing to see if the shield were truly gone, he said nothing, but turned to Anton and added "Seven days. Seven days to find and Initiate Egor. I don't like the idea but there is no choice."

"And what about me" Anton croaked "What about this." He waved his hand about through his aura, already beginning to change.

Gesar knew he had to lie now. "Come back to us in Seven days, and we will re initiate you, the change back will be much easier as its your nature to be Light. But don't leave it any longer...or we might not be able to." But he couldn't get the man's hopes up. Gesar ran his fingers through his hair and whispered "I don't truly know if we can even now..."

Gesar felt the sudden moment the office was breached. The portal was opened so precisely behind Anton he knew only one person could have done it, the one he felt outside the shield earlier, so desperate to get in. Zabulon, still exhausted, had felt nothing, the portals arrival surprised him greatly. Gesar faked astonishment as two pairs of hands yanked Anton backwards and into the portal.

In an instant he was gone. Zabulon stood by the spot where the overturned chair that once housed Anton now lay, his jaw hanging open in a very non-business-like manner. It was Gesars turn to suppress a smile now.

"You knew!" The Dark one blustered. "You knew that was going to happen! Where is he? Where is he now?"

"Gone off on your fool's errand Zabulon. Oh don't worry, he'll do what you want, but don't expect the outcome you were hoping for."

Zabulon threw Gesar a hard stare. "You don't know what I want, Light One."

"I know its not what you have told me, Zabulon. I'm no fool, not after all these centuries. There's more to this than you have told me, and there's more to this than you know. Good day to you Zabulon, after you leave the free pass will be removed until seven days time. I think we both have preparations to make for the journey to the Inquisition headquarters."

Zabulon growled, he knew Gesar had just dismissed him like some minor minion. Waving his fingers to construct a portal out of the room, he realised he didn't have enough power left to complete it. Gesar just stood and watched.

"The stairs are at the end of the corridor, first left." Zabulon hissed wordlessly, and exited through the door. Gesar knew he would pay for that someday, but for now the little victory was his. It still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Sem, I can't get through! I can feel the power on the other side!" Sveta had a portal open, but it was wavering, unanchored, unable to connect to the other end. Semyon nodded, unable to speak, using himself as a power source for Sveta to call upon. He knew it was dangerous, Svetlana was so much more powerful that he was, she could easily have drained him to the point of death. But Sveta was being cautious; It was still an effort for him though.

Sveta probed and pushed against the shield around the office through the portal. The abandoned warehouse they were stood in was cold, despite the sun beaming outside, sallow light filtered through the high, grimy windows. She pulled the portal back, releasing Semyon, who shuddered but remained silent, allowing her to concentrate; Sveta left a tiny aperture through which she could sense any changes to the shield.

An age seemed to pass, both of them silent, Sveta maintained a constant vigil, Semyon held himself ready as a portable battery, holding as much power as he could. Suddenly Sveta jumped.

"The shields weakening! Get ready..." She braced herself, widening the portal. Semyon stepped forward and held out his hands to the shimmering disc. Almost instantaneously Sveta released a burst of raw magic and thrust her hands through the portal, Semyon reached through a moment later. Both pairs of hands grabbed onto something; Semyon didn't think about it, he just trusted Sveta's judgement, they pulled, full force, as hard as they could.

Even with magic helping, Anton was still a heavy, muscular man. Semyon felt something click in his shoulder as he yanked him through the portal, Sveta grunting at the effort. Slamming the portal shut as Anton flopped through and landed at their feet like a floundering fish, he looked up at them and managed to say "Sveta! Semyon! I....I..." before passing out.

"Anton!" screeched Sveta, dropping to the floor and cradling him in her arms.

Semyon circled his arm and shoulder, feeling a torn muscle somewhere inside, and slowly dissipated the unused power he had stored. He looked down at Sveta, rocking back and to gently with Anton's head in her lap. She was muttering under her breath and Semyon could see her building up a massive energy charge. Through the first level of the Twilight she was iridescent, a glow so bright that even the darkening effect of the gloom made no difference to it. He could feel her pain, her anger, and he could tell where it was going to be directed.

Taking a chance, Semyon placed his hand on her head and quietly whispered "Think of Nadya."

The effect was immediate. It always amazed Semyon how she could turn on her power so rapidly, then turn it off again with the same speed, with no ill effect to herself or anyone around her. It was partly her level, but it was something else as well.....he could only describe it as a love for life, all life.

As the energy disappeared she looked at Semyon. "Thank you.....I'm sorry I've such a short temper at times." She gestured towards Anton lying prone in her lap. "But this just makes me so....so...."

"No apology's needed between us Sveta, I've told you before. I am furious at the way they have treated him to, but that is not going to change anything, or get him well again."

Sveta reached up for Semyons hand, he winced as he took hold of it. "Oh Sem, your hurt to."

"Only a pull, it will heal. But that is nothing, what is to be done for him?"

Sveta looked back at Anton. Semyon could see the threads of a complex diagnosis spell weaving about Anton's body. Sveta frowned. "I can't tell what's wrong with him, he's shielded by something, I can see damage here..." she passed her hand over the torn shirt "...through the twilight. Something is wrong, but I can't tell what it is."

A few moments later she looked at Semyon. "Sem, go back to Nadya, she's upset, I can feel it, she's sensing what's going on here. Don't let her worry about it.... please?"

The older man's eyes misted. "Good luck, and be careful. When you can, come to my place, yours will be watched now. I do not know why but it seems the better thing to do at the moment."

He opened a portal back to his apartment and stepped through, careful to hide the trace of where he had gone. Sveta gazed around her. His caution was probably not necessary here. This was one of the rare places on Earth where magic traces couldn't be tracked through the twilight. A 'gap' in the gloom, magic could be used, but left no signs afterwards. Although all these spots were well know to all the watches, it was a calculated risk to use this one. Sveta peered up at the ceiling many floors above her. Holes in the roof allowed tiny rays of sunlight through to speckle the floor below, highlighting gouges where machinery and things had been hauled away in the past. Dust motes floated through the sunbeams. It was cold, even on such a warm day as that one, and so remote she was sure it would be the last place they would think she would bring a sick, injured man to. But still she wished Anton would wake up, the longer they stayed there the more chance there was of being discovered.

Then Sveta halted in her thoughts. Why was she so concerned about being found? It didn't make sense. As a Great one there was not a lot anyone could do to her anyhow, she wasn't even a member of the watches any more, she no longer bore the seal, so why this nagging feeling that secrecy was vital?

Her leg began to ache. She just thought about moving it to relieve the threatening cramp when Anton began to stir. His eyes opened and he stared at her.

Sveta released the breath she didn't know she had been holding and blurted out in a rapid voice "I got you as quick as I could, they were heavily shielded, I couldn't get through...Nadya wanted to help, but I didn't want to put her in danger, damn I wish I had let her now. Anton, Anton, what did they do to you?"

Anton struggled to sit up then gave up. "They...they...changed me...somehow......where's Nadya?"

"Semyon is with her, I thought it better than her seeing Daddy like this"

"Sveta...what do I look like?"

Sveta almost smiled. "Like shit, why?"

"My aura...what's my aura like?"

Sveta realised she couldn't see his aura, something so all-encompassing and she had missed it."I cant tell, its like you've been completely drained out. Did they do that to you?" she asked.

Anton paused as if looking for something. "Sveta, check my pockets, anywhere on me...I think they slipped an artefact on me somewhere"

"Cant you feel it yourself?"

"Sveta, I cant feel anything....except pain....please...help me...look for something...you can see the aura.....but please, if you remove it don't be afraid"

Sveta searched his pockets but couldn't find anything. She stretched her aching leg and readjusted Anton's head on her lap. Her hand brushed the back of his collar and she thought she felt something like a pin stuck on the edge, a pin with no sharp point. Like an old, blunt Bobby hair pins from the 1960's. She glanced through the twilight, surprised she had missed it before when doing her diagnosis, then noticed it was invisible there, she could only feel its presence.

"Anton, I think I've found it, it feels like a simple hair grip...but I can't see it working, although I can feel the power coming from it" Sveta ran her finger over it again and took another glance at it though the twilight, trying to assess what it was doing. Then she saw it, an infinitely complex spell weaved invisibly, absorbing all around it. But she was confused by what she saw.

"Yes, its a blocking field, its suppressing your aura...it makes you look like a normal human, even I can only just see a little through it, it makes you appear to be an uninitiated other, too weak to bother with. Why on earth did they bother with that, you can do that yourself if you wanted."

"Sveta, I cant do anything at the moment.....remove it and see."

Carefully, hesitantly, Sveta studied it, acutely aware of booby traps in case she triggered one. Then she pulled off the pin clip. It effect took a few seconds to wear off and at first she couldn't believe what she saw. A sickening flash of comprehension passed fleetingly across her face and she let out a piercing scream.

"Anton! No nooooooo your dark!" She recoiled at speed, almost smashing Anton's head into the ground, and pressed her back to the wall."Anton, how could you! Why?"

"I didn't! They did it to me, Gesar and Zabulon".

Sveta felt the anger in her rise again. "I'll kill them. Both of them." she said, in an emotionally flat voice. But she still remembered Semyons words to her. No not yet, the timing wasn't right, but one day.....

"Sveta, no! I sort of understand why they did it...I just wish it didn't hurt so much"

"Oh love, your in pain! Let me heal you" She placed her hands on Anton's brow, weaving her best healing spell.

"Twilight....I've got stuff you cant see" he groaned. Sveta already knew, she was working in the twilight, taking Anton through with her.

Her hands moved rapidly, she tried all of the healing spells she had learned over the past few years, from both the Light and Dark powers plus some she was creating on the spur of the moment. Drawing more and more power she began to sweat, the effort was starting her hands to tremble. Even Anton in his weakened state could feel the outpouring of power all around him, but none on it seemed to be working, he still hurt deeply.

She wiped her hand across her forehead without breaking a step. An age passed. Eventually Sveta reached her limit, and let the spells subside. She brought them both back out of the twilight.

"Anton, I cant heal it, and I used both light and dark spells, there's little difference when it comes to healing. What ever it is, its part of the spell they used on you, until its lifted it wont heal, in fact I think it'll get worse. Oh god, Anton, its going to kill you, I could see your light energy trickling out of the gashes.....I think I've slowed it, but its only bought some time"

Anton, his voice bitter and dripping with irony said "So then, to save myself I have to go through with the plan. Succeed and be healed, fail, die, and they get there balance back anyway. Either way I lose....I cant initiate Egor against his will, its as bad as what they have done to me, and yet I don't want to die. As a light other, a noble death would be great...just great .......but they had to make me dark....already I can feel the survivalist instinct kicking in...to hang with anyone else as long as I'm OK"

"Anton Gorodetsky, you will not go to the dark...your a higher, your my husband and most of all you're Nadya's daddy. Get up off that floor now and listen to me!"

Anton began to pull himself up off the floor and stumbled, Sveta caught him and helped him up gently by the arm. Then she held him close.

"Never give into the dark Anton, never"

"I wont" Anton replied, but Sveta couldn't help noticing the hesitancy in his voice when he had replied. Slowly she led him to the van she had waiting outside. After checking he was sat comfortably in the passenger seat she climbed into the driver seat and slammed it into forward gear, almost wheel spinning away out of the weed infested yard at the rear of the old warehouse.

They did not leave unseen......

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gesar's overnight bag was packed. He waited for the intercom to buzz on his office desk announcing his cab had arrived. He surveyed the room; All the artefacts were gone, all the evidence of that morning cleared. Even the residue signatures from that huge usage of power had been wiped. It had taken most of the morning and part of the afternoon to achieve it. He was going to be late for the Inquisition's convocation. But he doubted he would be the only one.

He patted the laptop on his desk. All the information he could find he had left there for Anton. Gesar knew Anton would find it. He never told the lad, but he had been the best IT technician Gesar had known. And then the Light head stopped the chain of thought. He was already thinking of Anton in the past tense. He wasn't dead yet. The chances for him were slim but not impossible.

And Sveta had him. If Anton stood a chance it was with her. But what if she didn't go with him? Gesar shook his head, he couldn't exactly order her to, he just hoped that Sveta would want to. If Anton went alone he didn't know how long he would last...how much will-power he would have to resist the Dark. Never mind, the course was set. Removing the seal was Gesar's only way of giving Anton a chance, just in case.

Gesar sighed, he knew the meeting would go badly. If the Inquisition were panicking about the twilight and the loss of so many Others then what chance did the opposing factions have? This proposal that the inquisition wanted to enforce though, the complete cessation of all usage of the twilight by the Watches around the world, was going to be met by huge opposition from all. At least there would be angry exchanges, at the other end of the scale.....it didn't bear thinking about.

Gesar rubbed his hand through his hair. Deep in thought he jumped slightly as the intercom buzzer sounded. He pressed the 'Talk' button.

"Yes?"

"Your cab has arrived Gesar. Are you sure you don't want one of us to drive you to the airport?"

"No, it is alright. When I am gone, tell the watch to stand down. Go to their homes. Be with loved ones. Enjoy themselves. Close the office......."

The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. "Is it that bad?"

"Go home." Gesar cut the connection. Picking up his bag he opened his office door to leave. Silently outside, the remaining members of the Watch lined the corridor as he passed. No one spoke, no one said anything. Gesar couldn't help a tingling sensation creep up his spine. It was like the guard of honour given to the condemned prisoner on his final passage. 'Dead man walking' they called it. He hoped by the light it wasn't true.....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The portal closed

Sveta looked at Semyon. "Not even a kiss goodbye..", and she smiled at Nadya....but Sem could see she was crying inside.

Anton was on his own now. Sveta poured milk into a glass and began to sip it absent mindedly.

"So now what Sem?"

I do not really know. Somehow I do not think calling in at the office would be a good idea at the moment. I wish I knew what was happening there at the moment, I haven't been in for a few days now."

The knock at the door startled them both. Sveta shielded as a reflex reaction, and bustled Nadya into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She pressed her ear to the door as Semyon answered the knock. Then some talking. She breathed a sigh of relief as she recognised the voice, and came back out of the room, Nadya following.

The man stood in the hall way was adjusting his glasses. "Sveta, I'm glad your here".

"Ilya....what brings you here."

Semyon spoke. "He has brought us some information."

Ilya looked between them both. "It's not good....Gesar has closed the watch."

"What?" Sveta didn't grasp what Ilya has said immediately. "Closed the watch, but why?"

"He's told everyone to go home, and shut the office down."

"But what about the Dark Ones?! Who's checking on them? Anything could happen!"

"Its all the watches.....all the watches in the world are standing down. Gesar left this afternoon to go to the Inquisition world headquarters. They have called a convocation of all the leaders. Even the Dark watch is closed."

She didn't need to ask who 'they' were. It wasn't so much as 'they' but 'who'. Only one person had the power to close the watches temporarily, even then the existence of the Inquisition master was almost myth. She thought about the things Anton had told her and glanced at Nadya. She knew, had a gut feeling, all this wasn't because of her little girl, or even the Edinburgh incident, it was something much, much bigger. But she was at a loss when it came to thinking of what it could be.

Maybe Olga......

Sveta reached for her mobile and dialled Olga's number. All she got was the voicemail.

"Her phone's off." she said, as she hung up.

Ilya looked at Semyon.

"I'm at a loss what to do now" he said. "It's been so long since I joined the Watches I don't know what to do with all the extra leisure time." He smirked. "Maybe I should have taken my holiday entitlements more, for practice."

Semyon laughed. "Entitlements, as if Boris would give us any."

Even Sveta smiled. "Well it at least means one thing, me and Nadya should be fine going home. Thanks for everything Sem and I'm grateful..." she looked knowingly at him ".....and I know Anton is to."

Ilya nodded to Semyon. "I must go to. Just to let you know there is a few of us going to meet up in two or three days time. Mainly just for socialising but it will probably end up being a brainstorming session....see if we can make any sense from all this."

Sveta glanced at Semyon again before she spoke. "Is it alright if I come along? I.....may know something, although it might not mean anything...."

Ilya raised an eyebrow. "Is it the thing with Anton?"

Sveta looked shocked. "What......?"

"Sveta.....we all know Gesar was doing something earlier, you cant use that much power without it being felt. And Anton was there. We don't know what was happening but it doesn't take much common sense to know something major went down in there."

She frowned. "Then why didn't anyone do anything?"

Ilya raised an eyebrow. "We couldn't....and I'm guessing neither could you at the time."

Sveta sighed. "It's ok Ilya, I know you couldn't. I'm just frustrated at it all..." she waved her hands about her head "...Its not knowing what the hell its all about that's so....so..."

Semyon nodded. "I know, but I daresay we will find out...soon enough...."

* * *

It was cold in the cargo hold but she couldn't travel in the cabin. Even heavily disguised, magical and non-magical, Boris would still recognise her. She was glad she remembered to bring the deep cold survival suit, the type worn by crab fishermen who work on the Bering sea. Although some thirty-five thousand feet above the water the temperature was about the same. Sneaking aboard was easy enough, she had always been good at not being seen, but getting comfortable afterwards, surrounded by baggage and boxes, wasn't as easy. She was just glad the hold was pressurised, even with the air tank and breathing through the twilight it would have been a close thing with the oxygen supply.

Olga shifted position and stuck her hands, heavily gloved, under her head, trying to grab a nap. She always hated long haul flights when in the cabin, but this was many times worse. She sucked a boiled sweet to try and alleviate the clogged up feeling in them, the engines sounded loud but muffled, she wanted to here any sound changes in them, indicating the planes arrival, so she could be prepared to get away quickly.

Turbulence shook the plane, Olga felt slightly nauseated, the sweet helped that to. And now she needed to pee. Cold, miserable, uncomfortable......but there was no way she was going to let Boris go into this alone, even if he didn't know it yet......

* * *

Gesar sipped a mineral water as he gazed out of the plane window, the commercial airline he was travelling on a last minute decision, knowing he would be followed. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Too much was happening too fast. He didn't realise how much he had previously relied on his predictive abilities, without them he was adrift.

Guilt still stung, but he wasn't going to admit it, not even to himself. Gesar looked around the cabin at the mix of passengers on board. He could vaguely feel another Other somewhere, but he couldn't pinpoint where. He knew who it was though, but she was disguised well, he couldn't find her anywhere amongst the passengers.

He sipped his water again, taking two sleeping tablets and reclining his seat. This might be the last chance he would have to grab a little shut-eye for days, maybe the rest of his life.....depending how long it was going to be. As the tablets began to take hold he couldn't help smiling at the irony of the situation, he had given Anton seven days, he might not have that long himself. Outlived by the sacrificial lamb. Not a comforting thought.

Gesar's eyelids grew heavy. He let himself drift off to sleep, lulled by the quiet drone of the engines.

* * *

Zabulon sat in his private car, the chauffeur silent in the front. The airfield was just ahead, Zabulon's personal jet waited on the tarmac, fuelled and ready.

Perfect efficiency. He hated anything less.

His mobile phone pinged with an incoming text message. Zabulon read it and smiled. Things moved apace. He rubbed at a new scar on his arm, the deep scratch had helped him to focus and was easy to heal. He text back to the sender then switched off his phone. The chauffeur glanced in the rear view mirror at the Dark Watch Leader. "Sir, we have arrived."

Zabulon nodded. The car pulled to a halt, the chauffeur climbed out and held open the rear door. Zabulon glided out, carrying a small bag and a briefcase. He stepped onto the small flight of stairs leading up to the jets awaiting entrance. Expressionlessly he past the flight attendants and sat in his favourite seat.

With no announcement the jet engines powered up and the plane taxied down the runway, take-off was equally without drama as the rest of the journey had been so far, emotionless, efficient.

Zabulon was far from emotionless. His guts broiled in turmoil, a complete contrast to the stone hard exterior view. Without knowing it, he was assailed by the same doubts and worries his Light counterpart was also experiencing. But unlike his opposite, he couldn't accept it. He loathed it. The Inquisition were calling the shots now though. He felt himself being sucked into the maelstrom the same way as everyone else.

As the plate hit a small bump of turbulence Zabulon clenched his fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. Tiny droplets of blood welled up, he licked them away, savouring the metallic aftertaste on his tongue. But his teeth momentarily chattered. He growled. Nerves were not for showing, they were for controlling. That didn't stop the chills fleetingly travelling up his spine though. Doubts......were not efficient.........

* * *

The Master Inquisitor stood silently by the book. Its enclosure of clear, five inch thick bulletproof plastic was clearly humming, powered by the vibrating tome in its centre. There had been no change in its status. The lack of it was a concern in itself. The book lay open at its next empty page, seemingly acquiescent and waiting. It was definitely waiting for something.

Was he making the right decision? Preventing the Watches from using the Twilight would reduce its power. Not many of the Others knew that using the twilight drew off a small amount of power from them, power they had channelled from humans themselves. It was why the lower levels were difficult for most of them to reach, the lower the level, the more power was drawn from them. It was how the twilight fed, how it maintained itself. There would still be Others using it, those not bound by the Watches, but as the twilight was predominantly used for Watch business it would severely limit its intake. Maybe even stop it absorbing Others.

He touched his buzzing earpiece, he wore it at all times now. The latest losses figures were coming through. Another five thousand gone in one day. It was increasing in speed, now level fives, sixes and three's were beginning to disappear, only about ten percent of level fours were left in some areas. It was becoming desperate.

And beyond all that were his own plans.

The Master Inquisitor knew the Twilight was searching for someone, the same someone he had been searching for himself for centuries. He shuddered, the feeling that both plans, the twilight and his, would clash soon. But which one of them would get the person they were looking for? He didn't want to think what would happen if it wasn't him.

His earpiece buzzed again, announcing the arrival times of the first of the Watch heads. He issued commands back quickly, dictating accommodation arrangement changes he felt necessary, certain factions within his own kind still held animosity to each other, he wanted them separating. The last thing he needed now was long running disputes boiling over in the heat of the moment. Especially when the seals were set. And they would be.

He rubbed his chest. For some it would be harder than others, himself included. But he had never baulked at a little 'knife work' when needed, no matter what the outcome.

'Knife work'. There was going to be a lot of cutting over the next few days........but would the 'patient' survive?

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Master Inquisitor wiped the sweat from his brow as he closed the thick, heavy door behind him. His assistant looked up from his computer screen.

"That could have been better...." the Master Inquisitor said "....but nothing less than I expected."

"Resistance sir?"

The Master Inquisitor snorted. "Oh just a little." He adjusted his glasses. "I didn't think they would all agree and roll over like puppies though, and this was just the first meeting. It wasn't too bad." He smirked. "I came out of there alive at least."

"Even with the wards in place?"

"There was a lot of.....emotions....let loose in there. Its the whole reason I organised the convocation here, where it could be contained."

The assistant nodded. "Do you want the latest figures?" He didn't have to say which figures.

The Inquisitor sighed and held his hand out for the sheaf of printed papers. As he scanned through them the dower look returned to his face. Sniffing and pulling his shoulders back he thrust the printouts under his arm. He nodded to the assistant, crossed in front of the desk and headed for the door to his office. As he was about to enter he turned and said "Please have a meal sent in, I have work to do. Something simple. Second meeting is in a few hours time....." he indicated to the file under his arm, "..somehow I think these may make it a little easier."

The assistant nodded and reached for the intercom. The Master Inquisitor watched him from the corner of his eye. A good man, that one...its a pity I might lose him. He glanced briefly at the dossier.... level 3 Others were now beginning to disappear. His assistant was level 3, and he had seen the information, and hadn't flinched. A good man that, not enough of them left any more......

* * *

"This is ridiculous! It's not even discussable any more!" The man slightly right of opposite to the Master Inquisitor gesticulated wildly.

The Inquisitor sighed and glanced about him. The auditorium wasn't large, it had been designed to hold about five hundred people at once, the seating tiered and arranged in a horse-shoe shape around the main podium where he stood. But this was the first time it had ever been full since it had been built a millennia before and it gave it a claustrophobic, airless feel. He was almost amused to note that the Watch leaders had subconsciously arranged themselves according to alignment, Light ones to the left of the entranceway, Dark ones to the right, the tiered steps acting as an invisible barrier. He also noted the only two who broke this pattern sat at the front, watching him intently. The Moscow Watch leaders. He would speak to them later about a different matter.

Squaring his shoulders the Master Inquisitor frowned at the seething man. This one was being particularly petulant, despite the evidence lying before him, before all of them, on the table in the centre.

They were all slowly coming to the conclusion there was no other way....the twilight had to be banned from use. But they were scared, all of them, and this one even more so.

The Master Inquisitor relaxed his frown and smiled at the man. Fear was understandable, and it was fear powering this ones mouth. The man's rant faltered mid sentence and he sat down, unable to continue in the face of passivity directed at him. The Master Inquisitor looked around them all, doing his best to make eye contact with as many of them as he could. The room fell completely silent, as if all present were even holding their breaths and waiting for something....waiting for it to be said. The Master Inquisitor cleared his throat.

"Then, no matter how abhorrent it may be to us, it is agree. The twilight must be declared off-limits to all the Watches. All usage must cease. I will give you 24 hours to contact your members, inform them of the decision, or at least prepare them for the consequences. And may what ever deity, or belief you have, have mercy on our souls."

Murmurs and shuffling feet stirred the auditorium as the audience departed. except for two. The Inquisitor looked at Gesar and Zabulon, who were watching him intently.

"I wish to have a conversation with you both in my office immediately."

Gesar raised an eyebrow, but Zabulon looked almost smug, as if he knew what the conversation was going to be about before it happened. The Master Inquisitor turned and seemed to almost silently drift down the tiny exit corridor to the door. As he opened it he surreptitiously glanced back to see if they were following him. They were, Zabulon in the lead, a cocky step to his stride, Gesar, resigned, almost a shuffle. The Inquisitor smiled to himself, almost a sneer. This was going to be interesting, very interesting indeed.

* * *

He sat watching them in silence. They had arranged themselves on the chairs in front of him the same way the mass of Others had in the auditorium, Light on the left, Dark on the right. Gesar on his left was stiffly formal, with his hands clasped in his lap. Zabulon on his right was relaxed, almost slouching. For years he had studied subtle body language, but it was obvious to anyone that Zabulon clearly felt he was ahead in something, had the upper hand. That had to stop here and now.

"Sit up." The Master Inquisitor quietly said, injecting so much venom in his voice that Zabulon jerked instantly upright before he realised he had.

Spluttering Zabulon hissed, "How dare you! Do you forget who I am?"

"Someone easily controlled." The Inquisitor answered.

Gesar coughed, disguising a laugh. "Aural compulsion....that's a new one."

The Inquisitor turned to Gesar scowling. "It's as old as the hills, if you have the intelligence to learn it. No magic involved whatsoever, just common sense."

The Inquisitor felt a gentle caress of a scanning spell. He slapped it down and pointed at Zabulon. "You can stop that as well, none of your spells will work on me, nor will your scans. You were trying to find out what level I am, and whether to call me out or not. It is your right if I were one of you, but I am the Inquisition. Beyond you in law and power. If you want to know, I was once a Dark one like yourself, but do not be fooled in thinking you are any match for me, now or ever."

Zabulon interjected "I'm sorry sir, its just I have never met you in person before, I just wanted to know what I was dealing with." The apology in his voice dripped with sarcasm, but the Master Inquisitor let it go. Now was not the time for pettiness.

"You know why you are both here." Not a question, a statement. The Inquisitor continued to stared at the pair of them.

Gesar lowered his head. "Yes" he said quietly. Zabulon remained silent, but a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth again, imperceptible to most, but the Inquisitor knew.

"I know what you did, both of you. It is against some of the most fundamental laws we have. What did you think you were doing, what did you hope to achieve?"

Zabulon muttered under his breath "You already know that to".

Gesar glanced at Zabulon with a puzzled expression.

"Yes I know. But do you know Zabulon, that you wont get what you want?"

The smirk slowly dropped from Zabulons face to be replaced by one of puzzlement. "But you said....?"

Gesar swung his gaze back and forth between the two Others. Here was news to him, until that week he had never spoken to the Inquisition Leader, or even knew if he really existed beyond whispered tales told in dark corridors among new initiates late at night. Gesar settled his stare on the Master Inquisitor.

Zabulon seemed to be squirming. "You said....."

"I said what exactly?"

"You said.......you......"

"YOU said to me you wanted revenge on someone, someone I wanted to use for a different task. Our paths collided, it was in my interest to help you. But I tell you now, it wont achieve what you want......maybe even not what I want....but it is worth a try."

Zabulon leaped from his chair, sending it skidding backwards across the floor.

"You said it would work! You said it would. I've spent months working on this! I wont be denied!"

He lunged for the Inquisitor. He never got close. With a flick of his fingers, the Inquisitor surrounded Zabulon with a shield and suspended him in mid air. It flickered and crackled with energy as Zabulon tried to smash his way out. The Master Inquisitor just stood passively watching until the Dark ones rage ran its course. Panting, Zabulon glared furiously at him, but knew he was outmatched. The flickering stopped.

"That's better" the Inquisitor said, lowering the shield bubble to the ground, but not releasing it.

Gesar, lost for words at the turn of events, cleared his throat. The Inquisitor looked at him as if he had forgotten he was there.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my manners for a moment there." Tying off the spell that held Zabulon he pressed the button on his intercom. "Three beverages please."

Beverages. Gesar knew those. A strange concoction that took on whatever flavour the drinker wanted. He hadn't had one in many years, an old spell, ancient even, to make them. Either the assistant was incredibly old, or he had been taught it by another. Gesar thought the latter.

Moments later the assistant arrived with three tall glasses on a tray. Without even a glance at the two Moscow leaders he placed the tray on the desk and left. Gesar looked sidelong at Zabulon, who looked like he could kill. Zabulon hated anyone to see him beaten, it was bad enough Gesar was there, but the indignity of a low level underling seeing his predicament inflamed his anger to new peaks. He had gone from red hot wrath to ice cold hate. Gesar could tell the Inquisitor had done this deliberately.

The Inquisitor took two glasses from the tray, one he past to Gesar, the other he thrust through the shield and into Zabulons hand. Then he took the third and sipped lightly.

Gesar drank, his mind provided the taste. It came through as bitter sweet wine, something he had not tasted since his youth, when working for the Watch in Samerkand. It began to evoke long lost memories, not all of them pleasant. He watched Zabulon sip his drink, his eyes glazing with memory as well. Gesar wondered why the Inquisitor wanted to bring out old memories now, he was certain the beverage was for a reason. Watching the Master Inquisitor he saw a fleeting look of sorrow cross his face as the taste of his sip reverberated in his mouth. Then the Inquisitor seemed to resolve something within himself, as though the memory had reinforced some decision he had made inside his head.

Placing his glass back on the desk, the Inquisitor studied the two Others, analysing there reactions to the beverage. Zabulon seemed to have calmed down but his eyes still glinted with anger through their memory trip. Gesar was still studying the room and the Inquisitor himself.

He deemed the time to be right. He was going to need their help before it was all over.

The Master Inquisitor turned to Zabulon. "What you want will not work. But let me explain why...to both of you. How all this is linked."

He licked his lips and took another sip of his drink before continuing. "As you know there are numerous rumours currently circulating about the Twilight. Such as its feeding, its lonely; All ridiculous of course. What it is doing is looking for someone. I am looking for the same person. We are looking for the creator of the Twilight."

Gesars free hand gripped the arm of the chair until his knuckles whitened. "But...that's impossible....that's like trying to talk to your God on a telephone!"

"I assure you it is possible, and that he does exist. And I am trying to find him. I have spent millennia on the search. Now, finally, it seems there is about to be a break through......thanks to Zabulons help."

Zabulon seethed inside his force field but remained quiet.

Gesar had to ask. "But ....why?"..........


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"I want to die."

The silence in the room was complete. Gesar could hear his blood soughing through his ears in time to his racing heartbeat. Even the faint hissing from the forcefield bubble around Zabulon faded to nothingness. The Master Inquisitor stood behind his desk perfectly still, his mien blank, almost benign. For a moment Gesar expected him to start laughing and declaring it was an attempt at humour to lighten the mood. As the seconds past he knew it wasn't to be.

"......?". Gesar formed the question with his eyes, his voice failed him. But Zabulon had no such problem.

"Die and be out of our damned lives then." He squirmed in the forcefield again.

The Inquisitor looked at the ceiling, a wan smile on his face. "Oh, only if it were that easy. But you see it isn't."

"Why not?" Zabulon couldn't think of anything more he would like to see at that moment in time more than the dissolution of the Inquisitor.

"I don't want to just fade into the Twilight like all these poor souls are doing at the moment. I cannot commit suicide as it would just achieve the same thing. I would still be trapped in there, waiting an eternity of damnation hoping someone would one day pull off the same trick that Merlin did. But you see, no one can do that again. Merlin may have been a genius but he was also a selfish bastard. He rigged it so that the 'release' would only happen once. Ensuring his escape, but no one after him. All the tricks and traps he covered the trigger with were just for show. As you all discovered in the end. That moment, that split second, when all the levels of the Twilight merged, that instance the souls of the Others were allowed to go beyond, damaged it. The sheer power of it snapping back into shape worsened the flaws in it even more. We are seeing the results of that now."

The Master Inquisitor took another sip of his beverage. "The Twilight and I are looking for the one who created the twilight in order to force him to repair it."

"Repair?" Gesar finally found his voice. "But it isn't broken."

"Yes it is. When it was 'created' although that's not quite the right word for it, it was incomplete. Flawed. The one who did it wasn't aware of this at the time, but he certainly knows now....he has know for thousands of years."

"Bullshit." Zabulon was glaring again, but doubt was creeping in. "How can it be flawed. Its the Twilight for Darks sake."

"It was flawed as its creator was flawed. I don't know the exact details but he wasn't in his right mind when he first discovered the twilight, by complete accident I believe. The flaws remained, and compounded over time. Merlin's escapade just damaged the original flaws further. And now it wants to be repaired, made whole. There is only one person who can do that....the original Other."

Gesar rubbed the bridge of his nose. "But why die?

The Master Inquisitor closed his eyes and drained the last of his beverage. Still with his eyes closed he began to speak, faltering slightly over the words as though trying to frame them correctly in his mind first.

"I am old. I've lived too long. Apart from the original Other, who I know exists and lives still, I am the oldest living Other in existence. I was ten thousand years old before either of you were even born, and I know your considered to be among the oldest Others in the world. Especially you Zabulon." The Inquisitor turned and opened his eyes, staring Zabulon in the face. Zabulon tried to return the gaze, but broke first, looking down at the hazy floor through the bubble.

"I took part in the original wars between Light and Dark. It was I who instigated the Great Treaty. I was already thousands of years old by then, already tired of so much life. But I also knew death was not a respite. I had been to the lowest level of the Twilight, I knew what was there as well as Merlin did. But Merlin thought he could control it, open a way for us all to really pass into peace, and possibly to be reborn for a new start. Who knows on that point? He set the release mechanism in case he couldn't. He couldn't. Forever the cautious one."

The Inquisitor stifled a small laugh and held up his hand. "Oh don't say anything. I've heard all the theories....the feeding one, the lonely one, the Twilights panicking that all those Others will be reborn to flood the world, creating pressures for another war, so its clawing some back. Those are the sane ones, in the past few months I've heard much more bizarre. Fear breeds theories....even Others try to rationalise the things they don't understand."

Gesar shifted in his seat, leaning forward. "You still haven't explained why you want to die though, surely a surfeit of time isn't the full reason? If it were we would all be ready to go."

The Master Inquisitor swung his full gaze to Gesar. "Oh? Who is to say there isn't many more like me, had enough of a life they never asked for in the first place. No.....your right.....most of you are...well if not happy with your lives, at least mostly content. I, on the other hand, never wanted to be an Other." He raised his index finger in a twirling gesture. "I know, we are Others, that can never be changed. But tell me. If we were never initiated, would we miss that which we never had? Some of us find the Twilight ourselves by accident, but those who don't, those examples we find who are elderly and uninitiated..." Gesar started but remained silent."....do they die as humans, or still find themselves trapped in the Twilight? Waiting, endless waiting."

Zabulon was listening intently, a strange expression on his face. "Your trying to justify the ban on the Twilight. Your trying to reason tomorrow."

Flat voiced, expressionless, the Inquisitor replied "Partly, and partly I am also trying to explain why I want to die."

Gazing up at the skylight above his desk, the Inquisitor sighed. "What I am trying to say is, I never wanted to be an Other, yes I had the potential but I was tricked. My first time in I was tricked into being something I didn't want to be."

"Your Dark, how could you be tricked? Your high enough to change to the Light if you wanted to, a bit of effort on your part, but not impossible."

"It isn't that simple for me. When I told you I was old, even by our reckoning, it was an understatement. When I said I was looking for the original Other, I suppose I am a type of original as well, in as different a way as possible. When I was a youth, young man really, there was...someone. His name was Darnar, tall, fair, the youngest son of the leader of my village. It was love at first sight. Nothing these days, but in those days, under his fathers laws, it was considered an abhorration, punishable by death. So we remained silent, fear and desire mixed in a cauldron of hate. I joined his personal guard to be close to him, training to kill by day, learning to love by night. We fought side by side in wars I've forgotten the reasons for, I saved his life many times, and he saved mine."

"We thought we were safe. We wenched with the rest of the men, telling lewd tales of sexual conquests, while all the time in our mines thinking of our next tryst. I don't know how his father found out. They came for me in the night. I'm not sure how long I was under torture for, but I revealed nothing. Unfortunately Darnar wasn't as strong, on the fifth day he cracked."

"During our torture, the guards had built a pit in the ground. Sometime during the sixth day we were both thrown in. Us and one knife. We were told only one of us would leave, to be banished in exile. The others corpse would be staked and left at the village entrance as a warning. We didn't understand why, everyone else was too afraid to disobey the Leader in anything. We were in there, without food and water, for another three days. Unguarded, they knew we couldn't escape, we could speak freely for the first time."

"It may seem strange to you, but those were the best days of my life. I knew the end had come, there was no fear left, and I was with the one person who would be in my heart forever. But seeing Darnar fade before was worse torture than anything they could inflict on me with there crude devices and ways. I begged him to kill me, so he could live. He begged me to do the same to him. I couldn't. So we huddled together in the bottom of the pit, whispering our goodbyes. Darnar said he would wait on the other side for me, I told him I would wait for him. We kissed and I drifted off to, what I believed, would be my final sleep in the bitter cold night."

"It wasn't. I woke the next morning to the sound of someone dragging something. As I opened my eyes I saw two of the guards dragging out Darnar's body. I must have screamed as one of them hit me across the mouth. Then I saw the trail of blood. In the night Darnar must have found the strength to fall on the knife himself. He always blamed himself for cracking first. But he didn't understand, it didn't matter. It was only a matter of time. The torture was just for their entertainment. We would have been killed anyway."

"I don't remember much after that, although his father was true to his word. I was exiled, wearing just the torn clothes from there tortures on my back. But not until after receiving this...." The Inquisitor passed his hand in front of his face. His forehead changed, symbols branded into the flesh appeared. In moments they were hidden again.

"My 'guilt', written on my face for all to see. With this I couldn't stay. It ensured I would be moved on, hounded, ridiculed, throughout the lands where this could be read. So I travelled. Hidden by day, moving only at night. Stealing what food and things I could to survive, I became bitter, twisted up inside. Darnar's father had a long reach. It took me two years to leave the influence of his command. By then I was a broken man. I wont go into details, it isn't necessary to know what I was doing to survive."

"Then I met someone. Not in the same way as Darnar, no. I was begging on the edge of a small town for food when he passed me. He stopped and looked at me for a while. It felt as though he was looking inside me, at my mind. Then he dropped a hunk of unleavened bread into my begging bowl and moved on. The next day he returned, and the next. Each time scrutinising me. About a week went by when he eventually spoke. 'Come with me' he said. 'I can help you.'"

"Like an idiot I went. I had no self will left. He led me into the hills, to a cave. It was piled high with herbs and drying mushrooms. Along one wall was a collection of pots and bowls with various things in them. I couldn't tell what, from the smell I didn't want to know. He motioned me to sit on the floor. I did. I must have been there for hours. Possibly a full day. By this point I had lost track of all time, day and night just merged into one. During all this time he was mixing thing, grinding herbs, talking to himself."

"When he was ready he passed me a drink. I was thirsty so I downed it in one. It had a bitter, flat taste. I still remember that. He took a drink from another cup himself. Something different, it was sweet, almost sickly, I could smell it in the air. I could see the effects on him first before I felt them in myself. His face relaxed. He looked serene, almost angelic, although no one knew what an angel was in those days. I wish mine had been the same."

"When I felt the first tingle at the edge of my awareness instinct told me it was too late. My drink was the juxtaposition of his. Anger, pain, hatred flared up inside me. I saw my love killed over and over again in a thousand ways. I saw myself as his executioner. I relived scenes that never existed, only in my mind. It felt like my soul was burning, any pretences I had were stripped away from me and I was laid bare; Naked to the rising and overwhelming hatred for myself....for everything."

"It was the drink. It burned, whatever ingredients that were in it, they were slowly killing me. I could feel it eating away at me from the inside, flesh dissolving in my stomach where it touched. I screamed at the pain. But I also welcomed it. I wanted death even then."

"I thought it was coming, the air around me began to darken. All sounds seemed muffled and yet amplified at the same time. Strangely it felt as though I were being pulled in some way. Pulled into strangeness. Everything around me began to blur, mould into different shapes. Suddenly I felt something touching my mind. I wasn't alone. That was worse than the pain from the drink. Pain I understood, but not that, not in those days. It seemed to seep into me, I couldn't keep it out. It read all my thoughts, its caressed my emotions, recoiling from some, revelling in others. Somewhere in my awareness I could perceive someone else, the other man, experiencing the same as me, but I could also tell his was a much more pleasant sensation."

"Eventually the pain subsided. I was drawn deeper and deeper into the strangeness. Ahead of me I could see wraiths and spirits moving across a vast landscape. But it all felt wrong, it wasn't the afterlife I had been seeking, it was more like a prison, the few figures I saw passing in front of me didn't have the look of the departed, just misery. I sensed more than saw, the other man behind me. He seemed perplexed as well, as though he hadn't found what he was seeking either."

"I don't know when I passed out, or was it fall asleep? The result was the same. When I opened my eyes I was back in the cave. Starlight from the open entrance was the only illumination, the almost perfect blackness matched my mood. I heard the other man stirring. He coughed and was scrabbling around in the dark. I heard a sound, and then a small light appeared. He held it up in front of his face. He seemed elated, as though he had just gotten something of immense value. But he never noticed me, he began to race about the cave, lighting tallow lamps, flooding the space with yellow, flickering light and muttering to himself again."

"I began to crawl away on my hands and knees. Although the effects of the drink had worn off I was left feeling exhausted and totally drained. I'd just reached the entrance when he remembered I was there. 'Thank you' he said 'And I hope you enjoy what you have'.

'What?' I replied

'Immortality' he said.

I remember trying to attack him, but he hit me with something invisible. It knocked me out cold. When I drifted back to consciousness he was gone, the cave was empty, no sign left he had ever been there. I wandered away."

"It was months before I began to realise what he had meant.....and I cursed him for it."

The Master Inquisitor stood with his back to them, arms folded, his head hung as though a great weight pulled it down. "Merlin was always a manipulative bastard, even then. No normal death for me, no meeting Darnar on the other side." He could feel the eyes of the two watch leaders boring into him. He turned.

"Yes sirs, Merlin was the first Light Other, and I was forced into being the first Dark. Except I turned out to be stronger than him, in all but one thing....I cannot change to the Light, as Zabulon suggested. Oh I've tried, but for some reason I can't. Maybe its because in my soul I believe I did cause Darnar's death, that I deserve the darkness. I have killed, in the heat of battle and at other times, so innocence escapes me. It didn't surprise me when Merlin became Dark, he always was, he just tricked the Twilight with his drink. But I never felt Dark, even though my actions at times have been questionable. And so the only choice for me was The Inquisition. I created it, nurtured it, formed it into the only barrier between Light and Dark that has stood the test of time. Now it is my time. I wish to rest, permanently. But until the Twilight is repaired I can't or I will end up like those wraiths. Lost in the gloom forever."

The Inquisitor fell silent. Gesar and Zabulon glanced at each other, unasked questions passing between them. They waited.

The intercom on The Inquisitors desk buzzed, breaking the atmosphere. He pressed the button.

"Yes?"

"Developments sir."

"On my way."

He looked at the two men again. "Come with me please."

Zabulon felt the bubble around him release. For a moment he was tempted to retaliate but it quickly past. His curiosity piqued he followed close behind The Inquisitor. Gesar realised this spoke volumes. Despite the Dark leaders earlier outburst the Inquisitor still allowed him at his back. It showed he had nothing to fear from Zabulon, and Gesar wondered at the Inquisitors level. Merlin had been a zero point. Surely this man couldn't be that powerful. How had he hidden it? Or had he?

As they left the office and turned down a long corridor, the Inquisitor spoke again. "You can understand a little now, why I was shocked at your treatment of that Light one you perverted against his soul. I understand more than you think though, of the wheels that have been set in motion. As you will see."

They entered a vaulted room. In the centre, illuminated and under a glass dome on a lit dais, was an open book. There was an audible, irritating, hum radiating from it, and something else, a faint scratching sound. Gesar recognised the book immediately.

"The Book of Destiny!" he exclaimed, walking forward towards it. Then stopped. "What....?"

The pages of the book were blank as they were meant to be, but slowly, across the page, tiny, spidery writing was appearing, methodically, line after line. Gesar looked quizzically at the Inquisitor. The Inquisitors face remained blank, but his eyes shone. Zabulon tried to read the tiny glyphs but couldn't, not even through the twilight, it was in a language even more ancient than it, it couldn't translate.

"Gentlemen" The Master Inquisitor said, "..in the words of one of our more famous author Others...'The game is afoot'...."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Sveta, good of you to come. " Ilya hugged her then took her coat, hanging it from an ancient coat stand behind the door. "Sem arrived about an hour ago and said you might make it."

"Sorry I couldn't say if I'd be able to come sooner, Nadya's been a little fretful today and I wanted to make sure she was settled with Mrs Skovich before I left her."

"Don't worry yourself about it, as you can hear its quite lively in there already." Ilya gestured towards his lounge, where the sounds of a party drifted through the closed door. But the laughter and conversation sounded strained, with an almost desperate edge to it. "There's quite a few turned up."

Sveta nodded and hugged Ilya again, he said nothing, the mood of the moment was conveyed amongst all of them. Today....it was today.

Letting Ilya go, she opened the lounge door. The sound in the room dipped for a moment, acknowledging her arrival, but the atmosphere felt...wrong. Semyon saw her and gestured her to come over to him. He was stood with another Light one, Ignat. Sveta smiled at him as Ignat gave her a deep bow.

"Svetlana, my queen of the Light. "He took her hand and kissed it lightly. Sveta almost giggled, she couldn't help it, he hadn't lost of any of his charms, or looks. With looks a Hollywood star would have killed for, time had been kind to this particular succubus, who was a rarity in the Others even amongst the variety of their specialness.

"Ignat, what brings you here today. I thought you had retired some years ago."

He lifted his head and with a look of dejection on his face patted his chest slowly. "I did, but unlike yourself, I did not have the seal removed. I've come here to share this day with my friends, I am bound to their fate as much as they are bound to mine."

Sveta turned to Semyon. "Sem, is it going to be that bad?"

Semyon shook his head. "I wish I knew my dear. Maybe, maybe not. It could be worse for some more than others, the newer initiated ones may feel very little. Or we may all not feel a thing. We just do not know."

She felt the skin crawl on the back of her neck and looked behind her. She almost cried out allowed when she saw a small group of Dark Others at the far side of the room, watching her.

"Sem! What are they doing here?! Why were they invited?"

Semyon shrugged. "They are in the same predicament that all the Watches are. Not all Dark ones are evil Sveta."

She visibly jolted. "Sem, how could you. That was a low blow."

"I'm sorry my dear, I am just trying to point out the old rules do not stand any more. The order of things has been broken, with no indication whether it is ever going to right itself again. Light and Dark, for once its all the same. What affects us will affect them also. Sveta, dearest, we are all old Others here, some of the oldest in Moscow. If anything does go wrong......"

Sveta remained silent, a single tear seeped from the corner of her left eye. "What can I do to help."

"If you would be so kind, can you weave a ward around this room. Your the strongest here by a huge margin, but if things go...well...wrong, it will probably result in a lot of discharged, uncontrolled power. If anyone panics it could be fatal, for people and the surrounding area. If you could, can you do your best to contain it. For the sake of the humans outside?"

She nodded. Semyon continued. "The Dark ones are watching you as they know you're unsealed. They are suspicious of course, but they also know there is no choice; Not for the benefit of the humans outside but their own skins. And they have agreed to it."

Sveta turned to look at the Dark ones. They glanced at each other then one of them came forward. He held out his hand. She hesitated, battling revulsion as she glimpsed his aura, Vampire, level 1...the highest his kind could ever be, aeons old. Then she saw the look in his eyes. Fear. Pure fear, with no attempt being made to hide it. She took his hand, noting its deep chill but firm grip, and shook once. She almost felt the relief through the grip that the Vampire suddenly conveyed and it occurred to her some of the fear he had shown was due to herself.

"Great Light One." His voice was bass and smooth, the hypnotic undertones of his kind clearly evident even when not in use. "May I introduce myself. I am Gleb, formerly of the Kiev Dark Watch, but now of the Moscow Division. Semyon has already explained to us your reason to be here."

"My 'reason' sir, is to be with my friends at this difficult time."

"Of course Great One, but I assume he has mentioned his hopes of your participation in this matter?"

"Assume nothing. Semyon has mentioned it to me, and I have agreed to help. If only for the safely of my friends." Sveta was only vaguely aware of the music being turned off and all eyes turning towards the pair of them. "But I would not appreciate any 'interference' when I weave the shield."

"Madam, despite what you make think of all Dark ones..." he glanced over his shoulder at the others before continuing "...we are not all stupid. This is for our benefit as well as yours. I think all of us here have lived long enough to know when animosity is best left at the entrance door."

Sveta's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for and I apologise. I am willing to help all I can. Although Semyons plan needs to be modified a little."

She scanned her eyes around the room. All were listening. "I need to shield you individually rather than the room, that way it will ensure each individuals safety as well as the buildings and would require less power, ensuring stronger protection."

The Vampires eyes widened a little. "Great one, do you have that much power?"

"No.....and this is where the hard bit comes in..." She had there full attention now. "I was thinking about this on the way here, before Sem mentioned it to me. I was trying to think of a way to protect Others from the worse of the seal effects. I couldn't come up with an answer but I can shield each of you individually only if you can trust me enough to use some of your own power against you to do it."

Gleb whirled towards Semyon and pointed at him. "You knew about this...you said she could be trusted!"

Semyon shook his head. "No I didn't know, and yes you can trust her, I trust her with my life."

"That's easy for you to say old man, your the same as her. Have you any idea how this looks to us though?" Nods of agreement from some of the Dark ones. "How are we expected to trust her?"

"Because...my husband is a Dark one." Sveta's voice was flat, emotionless, almost inaudible. There were a few gasps and whispers close by to her as the statement spread around the room.

Ilya spoke first. "By the Light Sveta, when did he change?"

"He didn't" said Semyon "..that power you felt Ilya...they did it to him."

No need to ask who 'they' were. "Sveta, why didn't you tell me?" Ilya reached out towards her, Ignat moved to her side, the pair of them trying to act as an unconscious barricade against her sorrow, trying to offer comfort in solidarity.

Sveta sobbed. "You know the prohibition, a Light one may not be the lover of a Dark one. While he is Dark, he is lost to me." Tears began to flow freely now. "Not that he might live much longer."

Ignat gave a sidelong look at Semyon, who nodded slowly. Gleb turned and walked over to the other Dark ones as he said "Excuse me a moment, we must confer."

Ilya and Ignat cradled Sveta between them in a tight bear hug while the rest of the room murmured in a sea of undulating voices. Time seemed to flow swiftly around them, Sveta was unaware of anything, she was lost in the depths of her own misery.

"We have decided"..the bass tones reached through to her, a touch of the seductive in the voice, enough to rouse her. Sveta looked up out of Ilya's shoulder. Gleb stood before her. "I volunteered to be first. But please hurry, time is running out."

Silently Sveta reached for one of Gleb's hands. With the other she began to weave his aura in a twisting, complex pattern. He felt a tingling over his entire body and he could see the trellis-like fence forming around him. When she released his hand a thin filament of his aura remain in her hand like a leash. Then Semyon stepped forward. Sveta completed the same fence around him, another filament joined the first in her hand. Slowly one by one, Dark then Light, they all came forward, all came to have their own power weaved into the only hope they had. Sveta, still silent, began to sweat, the exertion of weaving and holding all the filaments began to take its toll. As the last one was completed she began to tie the filaments together, rainbow colours flashing across the connected auras, Light and Dark merging into one tendril as thick as rope. She stretched the filament and wrapped it around herself, feeding it with power, sealing it.

Gasping, Sveta wheezed "It is done."

Gleb and Semyon looked at each other. "I feel no different." the vampire said. "How do I know its worked."

"Try it on me" Semyon replied. "We are about equally matched...try a simple spell."

Gleb released a small repel spell. The aura fence sparkled briefly, but no magic escaped. He grunted his acknowledgement. "How long will it last?"

"Its proximity based, tied to myself." replied Sveta. "When I leave the room the filaments will be stretched and broken. Sorry, it was the best I could do at short notice."

The Vampire gave a small bow. "It is good and will serve its purpose."

Sveta bowed back and turned to Ignat. "I wish Olga were here...what do we do now?"

"Now, we wait" said Ignat. "Who wants another drink?......"

* * *

It was well past midnight when Olga dropped back out of the twilight. Guarding Gesar was difficult without it, but later that day the seals would be set. He would have been dead already if she hadn't been watching out for him. Someone had already tried to poison him, and arranged a little 'accident'. All easily avoidable if Gesars mind had been on the job, but it hadn't. No need to guess who the 'someone' was, never missed an opportunity did Zabulon. If Gesar had thought ahead better he would have had a few small 'presents' ready for Zabulon. It seemed to be a running thing between them. Although she knew that the Dark one knew Gesar was being protected, she couldn't understand why he even bothered. Old habits die hard probably.

But since the meeting in the Master Inquisitors office, Zabulon had stopped his little tricks. At lot of the things she had found out recently were amazing, but not surprising. Olga found it difficult to be surprised by anything any more. Some of the revelations were interesting, they explained a lot. Zabulon would have been pissed off to know she had seen him like that. But the office had been unguarded, no wards set. None she could detect or triggered at least. It was an opportunity not to be missed.

It was time for some well earned rest. Weaving a warding spell around the tiny hotel room she had rented, Olga flopped down on the bed drained but a little pleased with herself. Feeling justified at the decision to follow Gesar she allowed herself to drift off into a light sleep.

Olga jerked in her slumber, startling herself awake. The ward had blipped. Someone had been outside her room, but the spell still held. Probing in the darkness she couldn't find anything amiss. Turning on the bedside lamp she looked at the door. On the floor was a slip of paper, it had been pushed under the door. Staring at it warily she scanned it for residual magic or embedded spells. It appeared to be clear. Sliding off the bed she shuffled towards it, ready to leap clear in case it suddenly triggered. It didn't. Olga picked it up. It was just paper, a single sheet so it would slip under the door easily, with a short note on it, written in normal ball point pen in capital letters.

BE WITH HIM WHEN THE SEALS ARE MADE

Cold sweat trickled down her spine. No one knew she was there, she had been so sure of it. But this could only have one meaning. It had been delivered by a human to, no Other had touched this piece of paper, it completely lacked the trace all of them left behind. So someone had arranged for this to be delivered, and knew where she was. Olga crumpled the paper and burned it to ash in her hands. Throwing the few items she had with her into a small vanity case she lifted the wards, flung the door open and headed out of the hotel, towards Gesars rented apartment.

The figure in the shadows watched her go.....


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Gesar sat in the armchair, a glass of Cognac held in his hand. He was swirling the liquid slowly around the bulbous goblet, watching smoke curling and rising from a lit cigar resting in an ashtray on the table nearby. He needed both, he wanted neither.

Glancing at the wards he had set around the room he waited, reflecting on the advice given to all the Others about this precaution. Most hadn't taken the advice. In about ten minutes time it probably wouldn't matter any more either way. He ran his other hand over the full bottle of sleeping tablets in his jacket pocket. Always best to be prepared.

There was a knock at the door. Gesar jumped, almost spilling the brandy on the floor. He cursed himself, the wards were to prevent anything getting out, not anyone coming in. Pulling himself up he shuffled over to the door and turned the key in the lock. Opening it just a few inches he stared through the gap. "Yes?"

"Well, can I come in then? Or are you going to leave me standing out here?"

He flung the door wide. "Olga...I was beginning to wonder when you were going to show yourself."

"You knew I was here?"

"Not completely sure, but I could feel you on the plane."

Olga could feel her temper rising. "Dammit Boris, if I had known it would have saved a bloody uncomfortable journey!" She looked at his lined face, his red-rimmed eyes, his slumped shoulders. Her ire melted away. She brushed his cheek gently with her hand. "By the Light you look terrible."

"Thank you for the compliment" he croaked. Then he laughed, loud and strident, a hint of hysteria lingering in its after-tones.

Olga pushed him back from the door and closed it behind her. "Pull yourself together man, we've been in far worse than this. Remember Samerkand?"

His eyes glazed. "How can I forget? There or anywhere. Years of battles, years of fighting. Years of trying to keep everything 'balanced'. Now this bullshit.....and for what? We're all about to be cut off from the one thing that makes us what we are and there is still this matter of the mirror-thing-person that's suppose to be coming. And how are we all suppose to deal with that, half of us wont even be able to find a pot to piss in without the twilight as a guide."

"Boris......Gesar...your not the only one that's scared you know?" Olga lowered her head, trying to hide the trembling of her lips, but her voice gave her away. "Battles I can understand; When we fought side by side together many times, those things I understand. The hours of training, the arcane teachings......I'm a fighter, but I've nothing to fight against. The thing I can't see, or can't understand, is the thing I am afraid of."

"I'm afraid of the things I do understand, I don't have time or emotions left to worry about the unknown." Gesar rang his fingers through his hair and turned away from Olga. He began to chuckle again, this time weary and quiet. "The mighty Gesar, brought low by a pile of hear-say. Oh how Zabulon would like to see this, although I would like to think he's in the same position. You know no one else would see me like this don't you? May as well end it all with some dignity."

"Who's ending it all? This isn't the end you know, its going to be tough, but we're still here, still alive. Yes we're all terrified, but it'll pass." Olga glanced at the clock. "There is just time for a last drink, for old times sake."

Gesar turned to the table and picked up the brandy bottle, passing it to her. "Sorry I don't have a second glass."

She smiled. "Its never stopped me before." She took a deep swig from the bottle, draining half its contents in one go. Wiping her hand across the mouth she put the bottle on the floor.

"You still drink like a man." Gesar smiled.

"And I feel like a woman" Olga replied. Suddenly tears oozed from the corner of her eyes. "Oh, Boris...I.." She glanced at the clock again. "Oh....1 minute to go..."

Gesar threw his arms around her, dropping his glass on the carpet, spilling the contents on his shoes as it fell. Olga reached up and kissed his long and hard. "Boris I never stopped loving you" she murmured.

"I know."

It was the closest she would ever come to hear him say he loved her to. It didn't matter, she knew.

30 seconds....

They embraced tightly, Olga rested her head on Gesar's shoulder. His aura was in turmoil, hers was to....she couldn't help one last look into the twilight, to say goodbye to the life she had known. there was no knowing whether that life would ever return. She closed her eyes.

20 seconds....

Something began to prickle at the edges of her subconscious. She tried to ignore it.

17 seconds....

The prickle became insistent. Olga opened her eyes but could see nothing. Realisation dawned, it was coming from the edge of the twilight. There were still a few seconds to go, she risked a quick look.

14 seconds....

Something was coming out of the twilight, something heading towards them. Olga tried to see what it was but it was too far in, still a few seconds to wait.

8....

She saw it, it was a wraith, coming at them fast, aiming for Gesars back, in its hand there was a dagger, formed from twilight mist.

4....

Olga didn't have time to think. Giving Gesar one quick last peck on the cheek she leaped into the twilight, thrusting herself between his back and the knife.

3....

The wraith was huge, it snarled a shattering cry as it plunged the blade forward. Olga was not afraid. Battle...this is what she lived for.

2....

The dagger stuck, the point passed right through her leaving her unharmed, the wraith shattered, dissipating back into the mists. Nothing had happened, nothing had changed.

1....

Olga turned, reality dawned. She just had time to turn and lunge for the edge of the twilight.

0.....

As the seals slammed shut all she could was scream as a wave of pain and blinding light washed over her. Then nothingness.........

* * *

Sveta was shaking, the threads around her pulsing, tightening their grip, trying to rip her apart. The room itself was eerily quiet. Lightning flashes lit the interior like a badly planned disco, the dancers shuddering and jerking arhythmically to their own tunes. Outside were noises that sounded like small explosions, the windows suddenly rattled by wind and hail. Somewhere in the distance a child wailed, matched by the wailing of a siren as some emergency vehicle sped by on its way to a call.

Flashes of agony crossed Svetas mind, mingled with fear and resignation. She realised the emotions were travelling down the umbilicals from each of the Others and into her. Memories were to. She glimpsed a segment of biting, of drinking sweet, hot blood. The arch of a throat, the heat of desire. It was Gleb, his thoughts were strong. They repulsed her, and also compelled. Another broke through, love, loss, grieving. She wasn't sure who it came from but it was so strong it almost overwhelmed her. Memory/emotions began to invade her mind thick and fast now. Someone's childhood, a death, a new life, battle, peace, hate, anger, romance, marriage, funeral, betrayal.

Sveta felt as if her own memory of life were being driven out of her, pushed out to make room for all these experiences. Thousands of years of combined existence, clawing for a hold, begging to be heard. She absorbed it like a sponge. The link was two-way though, all her knowledge, all her feelings, flowed back down the threads and into each of the Others. She couldn't stop it even if she tried, but strangely she didn't want to. It was oddly comforting, a unique linking that would probably be lost forever once the connections were broken. Light/Dark were, for a brief moment, one.

The flow began to fade. One by one the threads stopped pulsing and began to slacken. As the last one stopped Sveta snapped the lines herself, releasing the shields. She scanned the room briefly, everyone seemed ok. Some were trembling, some weeping, a few paced up and down. She turned to Semyon and smiled. He gave a wan smile back, leaning with his back against a wall for support.

"Well that wasn't so bad" he croaked, licking his lips to try and moisten them. A sound like a whine escaped him and his skin suddenly paled.

"Sem........?" Svetas eyes widened and she froze as Semyon slowly slid down the wall and landed on the floor in a heap. Out of the corner of her eye she saw others fall. A piercing shriek behind her broke her paralysis and she flung herself forward to Semyon. He wasn't breathing. Flinging all her healing knowledge into him as she performed CPR on him, she screamed "Sem! Sem! Wake up! Semyon! Please, don't die! Seeemmmmyyooonnn!"

The shriek had turned into a bubbling wail now. Sveta smelt decay and attar in the air. Glancing up between giving Semyon the kiss of life she saw Gleb, or what was left of him. He had rotted away before their eyes, slivers of mummified flesh littered the floor where his rapidly disintegrating corpse had fallen. The sound was coming from one of his companions, who was staring in disbelief and shock, they themselves shaking violently with rapid convulsions.

Sveta looked about her in desperation. None of them had escaped. Everyone was in trouble, some were dead, there was no mistaking it. She saw Ilya curled up in a foetal position under a table, trembling violently. But he seemed to be in the least difficulties. "Ilya!" she screamed. "Phone for an ambulance, lots of them, NOW! I can't save everyone!

She turned back to Semyon and hit his chest, once twice, three times. "Breathe, damn you, breathe! I'm not going to let it end like this, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not......"

Semyons back suddenly arched as he dragged in a rattling breath, his whole body ridged, his face a mask of agony. Then he slumped back down, limp and lifeless. Sveta scanned him desperately, and wept with joy when she found his pulse, weak, erratic, but still there. Torn between his need and the others she linked a monitoring spell to him while she crawled around the room, doing what she could.

She found one of the Light Others dead, slumped at the feet of Ignat. He was unconscious, but alive. Sveta was shock to see him though. Gone were his succubus looks, his charismatic presence. He looked old, so very old. His skin was showing his scales, the trait of his kind, but they were grey, not the shining rainbow of beautiful colours Sveta had seen once through the twilight, the only way they could normally be seen, when he was trying to sweep her off her feet. It was already too late by then of course, Anton already had her heart.

"Anton!" she whispered. "Oh Anton..."

The wailing siren in the distance grew closer as their turn came for aid.

* * *

"It's ok you know? Our best people are with him." Ilya was slumped on a plastic chair outside the treatment room, his face drawn, his eyes dark. Ignat sat opposite him, his arms clenched tightly around himself. Sveta paced up and down.

"I know, I know....but its just... I saw his eyes as they were taking him in. There was nothing there Ilya, it was as if Sem wasn't behind them any more."

"Sveta, if anyone can help him its our own healers."

"But everyone is just so stretched at the moment. I did what I could....but...."

Ilya stood up. "Sveta, go home. Nadya will be waiting for you. There is nothing more you can do here."

"Oh Nadya, I almost forgot." She turned to Ignat. "Can you stay with him please?"

Ignat nodded. "Looking like this I can't really go anywhere else." He gestured to his face. "I had helluva time hiding when the human paramedics arrived, so I'm going nowhere. Not that I would want to....not at the moment." He looked at the treatment rooms door. "Go to Nadya, she may need you more now."

"Yes, alright." Sveta twirled her hand and created a portal. "I know I shouldn't but...." She stepped through and vanished.

Ilya looked at Ignat. "Do you think we'll ever be able to do that again?"

"At the moment Ilya, I couldn't care less........."

* * *

"Mrs Skovich, I'm back." Sveta called as she stepped out of the portal.

"Hello dear." Mrs Skovich replied, washing the supper dishes.

It still amazed Sveta that this human never seemed surprised when one of them would suddenly appear. Despite all that had happened just hours before, Sveta couldn't help but smile. "How had Nadya been?"

"She was a little restless during her afternoon nap, talking in her sleep. Nightmare I think. She's settled fine in bed tonight though."

Svetas smile faded away. "Is she alright?"

"Oh fine, fine. Go up and see her if you like, I doubt she'll be asleep yet, she took her favourite toys to bed with her."

Sveta headed for the stairs, hesitated and turned back to Mrs Skovich. "Can you...can you look after Semyons place for a while. He's...gone away. He might not be back for a while."

"The sirens." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "I maybe just an old babushka but I know when something is happening, isn't right."

Sveta walked back to her and hugged her tightly. "Your wonderful" she whispered.

"Go to your baba." Mrs Skovich turned back to the washing up, the clatter of pots hiding the gentle sniffs she was making.

Sveta climbed the stairs and opened Nadya's door gently. She was greeted by a huge smile from her daughter.

"Hello mummy." Nadya held her arms out for a cuddle. Sveta obliged. She lifted Nadya up and rocked her gently in her arms.

"Ooo your getting heavy Nadya, you'll soon be a big girl. Mrs Skovich said you had a nightmare at nap-time today. Do you want to tell mummy about it?"

"Its alright mummy, its all gone now. It was about daddy."

Sveta felt her blood run cold. "Its because your missing him arnt you sweetheart."

"No mummy. Its not that, I see daddy all the time in my dreams. Daddy was going to do a bad thing, but I helped him not to. Its all better now."

Sveta smiled and kissed Nadya on the forehead. "Bedtime now, put the toys down, and sweet dreams." She laid her down and tucked her in, turning on the night-light beside the bed.

"Goodnight mummy."

Sveta left the room and closed the door. She pressed her back against the wood, silent tears flowing freely down her face, chill dread coursing through her veins. Anton, where are you now....what did Nadya mean.........A bad thing? Sveta couldn't help feeling he wouldn't be coming back to the Light, if he ever came back at all.........


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The corridor was dark as the sound of solid footsteps echoed off the walls. Gesar strode, almost marched, holding himself tall, strong, determined, the old stone-faced look he had cultivated over the years back on his face. If anyone else were to see him they could tell the face was not the only thing as set as stone. His sheer force of will was almost tangible, sweeping before him like a tempest. His eye blazed with fury, barely concealed behind the granite façade.

Stopping by a door he composed himself for a moment, then slammed his fist against it with his full force. It buckled and bowed under the pressure, but held. Gesar struck again, this time the door emitted creaking noises from the hinges and lock, dust swirled from around the frame.

"Zabulon!" He bellowed. "Come out you craven coward! I issue the Challenge!"

A third blow. The door flew apart, splintering wood sprayed around him, he ignored it and strode in. The room was in darkness, the blinds drawn closed against the street lights outside.

"Zabulon! I know you can hear me..." Gesar shouted, almost a scream "...I issue the Challenge, as is my right! I call you out Zabulon...you finally have your wish, lets get this over with.....Zabulon? Do you hear me! Accept or I am victor by default you coward!"

A noise. Suddenly Gesar was seized by the arms and flung against a wall, pinned there. The super-strength spell was wavering, he couldn't hold any spell for long any more, but in his blind fury he struck out still, hitting things around him. He felt his fists contact with flesh and bodies going down with satisfying thuds. But for each one he felled, two more took their place. Something slammed him across his left temple with enough force to lash him sideways. He dropped, stunned. Rough hands grasped him and dragged him out of the room, the splinters from the broken door scraping his skin.

"Tell the boss we have him...." was the last thing he heard as a second blow to the head brought blackness.

* * *

"Who needs magic when you have muscle?" the voice chortled, pounding a fist into Gesars stomach. The searing pain jerked him awake. Trying to peer through already swelling eyes he could only see blurred shapes, vague movements. He became aware of red hot spikes of agony coursing through his arms and shoulders and realised he was hanging by the wrists, his feet clear from the ground, like a slab of meat waiting to be butchered. The thought struck him as ironic and he couldn't help himself, a dry, cracked laugh escaped his lips.

"Ah, the little man is awake! Welcome back to the land of the living." Then the voice barked an order. "Release him!"

A falling sensation, the pain in his arms ceased as the floor hit him with a resounding slapping sound. Gesar hit it hard, the remaining wind in his lungs knocked out of him. As he lay prone on the cold, hard surface, he forced his eyes open a crack, determined to see where he was. Hearing the sound of pacing footsteps, he turned his head slightly and strained to see through watery eyes.

Cloven hooves.

Licking his lips, Gesar struggled to speak. "Zabulon....you....bastard." he whispered hoarsely. "I issue...the Challenge....you know why....Meet me....on ...the field...of battle....."

Zabulon roared with laughter, but the sound was less deep, less resonant as usual. Kneeling down to Gesar he grabbed a handful of the Light Ones hair and yanked his head off the floor. Zabulon thrust his face towards Gesars, their noses almost touching. "Look at me....LOOK AT ME!"

Gesar squinted at him. He looked into the face of a true Demon. Spittle continuously dripped down the protruding fangs, the jagged edges preventing the mouth from closing properly over them. The skin was red, suppurating, the smell of decay coying in the air. His foul breath blasted into Gesars face with a rapidity that could only be unhealthy even for an Other. On top of the head, horns, straight out of human religious texts. But here they looked deformed, incomplete somehow. The eyes.......he couldn't look into them, and remain sane.

"Look at me, how can I go anywhere looking like this?" Zabulon shoved Gesars head away, almost cracking it on the floor.

Gesar tried to speak again, this time with more success. "I don't care what... you've ended up looking like Zabulon...it comes as no surprise. I still ...issue the challenge."

"On what grounds?"

"You know 'what grounds'."

"It wasn't my fault the stupid bitch interfered, it was meant for you." Gesar tried to push himself up off the floor as Zabulon continued. "She wasn't suppose to be there. It was just a wraith, it was created to touch your heart, cause an attack. They would have thought you had died from the setting of the seal. Dark knows, enough of us have, dead or useless."

Gesar gave up trying to rise and began to crawl towards Zabulon. "Why?...Why do you hate me so much......?"

Zabulon gazed at Gesar, his eyes forming cat-like irises, blazing redly. In a voice devoid of all emotion, chilling in its blandness, he said "You know why."

Twisting away just as Gesar reached out for his ankle, Zabulon began to laugh. "Oh but this was is sooo much better don't you think? Poetic justice. You can rip yourself apart thinking of you whore slowly dying trapped in the Twilight. Ooo what if you never die like that, just bleed power constantly like an open wound, never healing. Imagine the horror, imagine the pain!" Dropping to Gesar again he grabbed the Light Ones head in both hands, spit drizzling his face. "But then you know all about things that wont heal, don't you?"

Letting Gesar go almost casually he waved a hand. Gesar became aware of movement around him, quiet feet moving away, a door opening, closing again. Hushed voices receding away...and a lack of a certain sound he noted intently.

"Just you and me now Gesar." Zabulon lifted him by the armpits and dumped him on a chair, then stood in front of him. "So...you want to challenge me do you? You want to finally put an end to all this? Zabulon pulled himself to his full height, all seven feet of him. "Ok, do it, now....go on....try..."

The matter-of-fact tone in Zabulons voice should have warned Gesar, but he was too dazed to notice and paid no heed to the little intuitive ticking at the back of his brain. Calling up the strongest battle magic, the most arcane and destructive incantations he could remember, he flung a mighty attack at the Dark One. The instant he released the spells he felt as if his body were exploding. Drawing his knees up to his chest in agony, he screamed and vomited down the side of the chair. The physical beating had be bad, but this felt like death. It felt as though his entire skin was being torn from his body, his intestines pulled out and stung around his neck.

Zabulon grunted and reeled as the spells hit, obviously in some discomfort but essentially unharmed. But his face showed surprise, and a little wariness.

Gesar, gasping for breath between retches, groaned. "Shielded, you...pathetic...."

Zabulon snorted. "Do you see a shield you fool?"

Gesar frowned. "You...know I....cant....use the...Twilight...to see..."

"Alright then, do you FEEL one?"

Gesar tried to concentrate. Zabulon was right. The slippery feeling, characteristic of all types of shield, was absent. He was unshielded. "But how.....there was enough....power....in those spells...to blast you...back to...the...Hell...you spawned from."

"WAS enough...was...not any more though You felt that, shall we say, 'mild discomfort'...." a sneer "...when you cast. You cant draw power any more. All you have is your own life-force, a finite trough to dip into. When its gone, its gone. And so are you. To be honest, the current state your in, I was surprised to even feel anything, or that your still alive."

"So...why are...you telling me this. Why not just...let..me cast myself to...death."

"Oh because now I want you to live. Now I want you to suffer each and every day trying to get her back. I want you to feel what I have felt."

"Bastard......"

Zabulon turned his back on him. "So, you still want to challenge me now?"

Gesar struggled to his feet, the chair skidding slightly at the effort to stand. He staggered forward and gripped Zabulons arm with enough strength to make the Dark one flinch.. "This is not over, it will never be over until one or both of us lies dead on the ground...And it wont be me." He began to shuffle over to the door.

"Where are you going? You cant get out you know, the door is guarded....come back here now!"

Gesar raised an eyebrow? A hint of what in Zabulons voice, fear, hysteria? Was the Almighty Zabulon losing it? He turned back to face him. The Dark leader was trembling slightly. "I think not Zabulon, you just spoke of feelings, you don't have any, or your minions believe that. When you sent them out of the room it was so they wouldn't hear you talking to me. Doors can be listened at. You sent them further away, probably to guard the perimeter of the building so we weren't disturbed."

"Don't go! I'm....."

Gesar could read it on Zabulons deformed face. "Your scared. Well tough shit, join the club."

"But what do I do now?" Zabulons voice was small, almost lost.

"Your asking me, after you just kicked the crap out of me? Find a way to cope, like the rest of us. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got someone more worthy than you to help...or die trying."

Gesar hobbled over to the door, unlocked as he knew it would be from the lack of a lever sound, and stepped through, closing it behind him. Leaning heavily against the door frame, his body bruised and throbbing, his legs sagging under his own weight, he almost laughed again at the true irony. Muscle may be better than magic when the magic's gone, but sheer guts beats all..........

* * *

"Trouble". It was fast becoming a word the Master Inquisitor loathed. Each new usage of it brought more problems, more than he could ever solve. The seals were set, but the after effects were more than he expected. Ha! Such a simple phrase to cover such a vast amount of....

"Trouble" he repeated. "...I need answers not more excuses." He scanned his eyes around the table. All his top advisor's, the ones who were not dead or half insane, sat hunched over huge piles of paperwork, correlating data, reading reports as they came in, condensing down the details into a manageable form for him to skim through. Skim, there was a 7000 page document on his desk, and this was just the "skim".

"The representatives of the Factions are requesting a meeting to confirm whether the rumours are true, sir." His secretary handed the Inquisitor a photocopy of the petition. "They're almost all on there sir, I think we may have to tell them."

"Not until we have to!" The Master Inquisitor slammed his fist on the desk. "Dammit! This was not suppose to happen! The studies were made, tests done, every possibility cover. Fuck it, I've been working on all this for a millennium!!"

The Others around the table flinched, they had never seen their Leader lose his temper before. They didn't even think him capable. Most of them looked away, pretending they hadn't heard him, the rest buried themselves back into the mountains of files. Only his secretary remained steadfast.

"You DID stop the disappearances." Almost a hint of gratitude in his voice.

"But at what cost!" The Inquisitor was beginning to rage. "We've lost nearly 40% of us! Either dead or incapacitated. Oh what a feast that made for the Twilight! Its probably only stopped because we gave it a belly ache! And what for? To be blocked from our power almost completely!"

"Can we just not recruit new members to the watches and the inquisition?"

"How? As soon as they receive the Watch seal, be they Dark or Light or destined to become Inquisitor, they will get cut off."

"Can they not be left unsealed?"

The Master Inquisitor raised his hand in frustration and almost struck out at his secretary, then slowly lowered it again and patted his arm almost fatherly. "I'm sorry, you don't understand. Unsealed they have a free hand and access to more knowledge than is good for them. The seal is there to ensure that knowledge is never used to tip the balance in favour of either side. I should know, I created the seals, and there usage. But I never foresaw this. How stupid could I have been! I was so blinded by a goal, I missed this one glaring consequence!"

The advisor's glanced at each other. This was new to them. The secretary glared at them, then said "I think you had better tell them sir, they are going to find out soon enough, if they don't work it out for themselves first."

The Inquisitor sighed and wiped his brow with his sleeve, the beading sweat forming almost instantaneously again. "Ladies and Gentlemen. The situation is this.... When the seals were set, as you know, all members of all the watches, including yourselves, found their magic capabilities severely reduced. Unable to access the Twilight has had the unfortunate side effect of doing this....this we knew was a possibility. But there was one thing we overlooked.....no, I overlooked. And I am sorry.....I really am....."

They were all looking at him now, fear in their eyes.

"When the seals were set into effect on everyone, including myself.......The.....consequences of this were...well.....there is no one within the Watches who has the power left to lift the seals. The Watches, and the Inquisition is......over.

We are no more............


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Svetlana tossed and turned, the sweat soak sheets clinging to her writhing body. Gasping for breath she sat bolt upright, coughing violently, the dream of suffocating still vivid in her mind. As her breathing settled she pushed the covers aside and slid out of bed. Shoving her feet into her slippers she moved silently out of the room and down the stairs.

The percolator was still lukewarm. Sveta flicked the switch and reached for the sugar tin. As the silver lid caught her eye she gasped. A face, she saw a face. Angling the tin into the light it was gone. Only a glimpse.

"A reflection...I'm jumping at shadows now."

The percolator began to bubble. Sveta switched it off and poured out a cup. Sitting down at the table she placed the coffee in front of her and watched the steam rise. As she looked at the eddies and swirls they began to coalesce into a denser form. Forming a shape, a face, another face. Eyes, nose, mouth, it was calling, crying silently. Sveta sat transfixed, held immobile by the strange vision. She felt her hand drawn to the condensed steam, her finger passed through the visions left eye. It swirled around her fingertip, reforming behind the passage of her hand.

Sveta shook her head. "Disturbed sleep, that's all. Lack of a good sleep, making me see things."

With a good deal of effort, she tore her eyes away from the cloud, which dissipated almost instantly. But a sense of foreboding, of urgency, replaced the fascination.

The sky outside had already lightened with the approaching morning. "No point going back to bed now." Sveta muttered. Leaving her untouched coffee on the table she headed back up the stairs to the bathroom. Turning on the shower to warm up she shed her nightgown and stood in front of the mirror. Time was being kind to her, she expected it always would be. She still had the firm body of youth, slight puckering of the skin from her pregnancy and birth of Nadya, but even that was beginning to fade. Her breasts, small but still high, her face, unlined and unblemished, except for dark patches under her eyes from the lack of sleep. Her eyes....Anton always said her eyes were his favourite thing. Sveta felt tears welling up as the mirror began to steam up from the condensation of the hot shower, blurring and melding her features.

They were not her features.

Sveta stifled a scream. The reflection was not her own. In the grey misted mirror she could faintly see Olga, arms outstretched upwards in supplication. She looked haggard, gaunt, wild fear etched across her face, pain creasing her brow. Sveta touched the mirror, trying to dispel the image as with the steam earlier. The surface felt spongy, soft, beneath her palm. Olga's vision remained. She seemed to be trying to say something, slowly mouthing silent words. Sveta strained to see through the pooling condensation droplets, afraid to wipe them away in case she wiped Olga away with them.

Twilight......meet me.......come.......... Olga seemed to say.

Sveta was confused. The Twilight was sealed to the watches, why would Olga want to meet her there. Cold realisation hit her. Olga didn't want to just meet her. She was trapped! Trapped in the Twilight, terrified, hurting, dying even, and desperate for help.

Sveta pressed against the mirror. It looked as though she walked into it, vanishing, as she stepped into the Twilight, using it as a guide.

At once the slick grey mist swathed her naked skin like a caress, almost erotic in its intimacy. She shivered as the sudden temperature difference raised goosebumps all over her. Trying to clear her mind, Sveta strained to feel Olga's call, to get some sense of her friends bearings.

A faint call to her right. Sveta turned and raced through the gloom, time and distance irrelevant in its vast embrace. It felt like hours before Sveta saw a prone figure lying on the floor, mere seconds would have past outside. Racing over she dropped to her knees.

"Oh Light.....Olga...."

Olga raised her head and tried to focus. "Sveta? That bad is it?" she said, trying a wan smile but turning it to a grimace of pain instead.

"How...?"

"No time.....Sveta, I need help.....I cant get out.....out of all this...and its killing me."

Sveta couldn't help notice that Olga seemed to fade in and out slightly, each oscillation like a slow heartbeat. "How can I help?"

"Power, I need power."

Sveta scowled. "I don't think I can get you out Olga."

"Not to...get me out. To stop me...being sucked in.....permanently." Olga winced. "It doesn't require a lot....to prevent it....but its continuous. A slow drain. Over time..... I'm almost spent....I have nothing left to give."

Sveta nodded. Olga must be in a bad way to state something so obvious to another Other. Or was she trying to tell her something? She began to concentrate and moved her fingers almost imperceptibly. As the spell formed Sveta held the image of the shielded Others in her mind, the energy links folding their own power into themselves. Modifying the spell she gently slipped the enchantment around Olga, forming the tether into a circlet with no visible lead between them. Sveta slipped the almost invisible bracelet onto her wrist. For a second she could feel the same link she had felt with the distressed Others, a flood of memories, swift, unfathomable, then gone, the effect much swifter and less pervasive. She couldn't help thinking of the strong impression left by Gleb as he died, still echoing in her mind. The savage, pure, eroticism of blood. The thrill of the hunt.

The creases on Olga's brow eased as the spell settled. Sveta could feel the slow, leech-like sucking of the twilight through the link. It was insidious, relentless. Sveta understood what Olga meant now, the twilight wasn't just draining them the normal way, it felt as though it were feeding, like a baby at the breast. She suddenly became aware she was still naked and shivered.

Olga closed her eyes, oblivious to Svetas discomfort. "Thank you" she whispered. "But remember if it gets too much drop the link. No point in us both getting lost in here. Its my own stupid fault I'm in here in the first place. And you have your family..." Olga smiled. "At least I have lived to see mine grow up, and grow old. Maybe its better if I don't outlive him as well."

"Shut up." Sveta admonished. "While I've got you your going nowhere." She wished she felt as confident as she sounded. She could feel the drain through the bracelet already and hoped it was only because she was in the Twilight herself.

"How did you end up in here? Didn't you realise this would happen?"

"I knew.....I was trying to protect Boris. Ironic isn't it? I was the one who needed protecting in the end....from myself."

Sveta waited, but Olga added no more to the statement.

"I have to go" she said, thinking of Nadya "..will you be ok for now?"

Olga gave a hoarse laugh and nodded. "That's like asking a guy who's just found out he's won the lottery after he's burned his ticket. Yeah, I'll live, just not feeling my best." She beckoned Sveta closer. "I've seen things in here.......things I've never noticed before. Strange things....." She fell silent.

Sveta looked around her, watching the shadows and the swirling eddies of mist. She saw fleeting forms, ghostly, passing by, not unusual, but these seemed.....different.

Sveta turned back to Olga and nodded again. "I'll come back later, to see how you are."

"Don't hurry back.....Sveta, things are about to go a little crazy out there, you know that don't you? There is less than a day until that 'mirror' comes, although what I've learned in the past few days its the last thing on everyone's minds. I think most of them have forgotten in there own little worlds of dilemma. I haven't.....I've been thinking deeply in here, there wasn't much else to do while I waited to die. I think I've worked it out. Sveta....its not a mirror, its... dammit I don't know what it is, but be prepared! Your going to be too busy to come back to me any time soon."

"Your pre-cog is back?"

"No....just a gut feeling.......Be careful....."

"I will." Sveta meant it, there was too much happening in her life to even consider otherwise.

Olga reached up to Sveta. They shook hands. "Good luck, and may the Light protect you....and...what ever happens...please be kind to Boris. He's had to make a lot of decisions lately, not all of them good ones, but he's trying his best...."

"You to, and I'll try to..." Sveta replied "..and I will be back, I promise."

Olga just smiled. "At least your honest......"

Rushing back through the Twilight, Sveta emerged back into the bathroom. The hot water from the shower had long since run out, the steam chilled and condensed onto every surface. Sveta walked over to the shower, stepping carefully on the now slick tiled surface. Passing her hand through the freezing water droplets she stepped into the flow, their icy blast hitting her like a shockwave. She gasped but stayed under, soaking herself in the frigid spray, trying to numb herself to everything. When she began to shiver violently, she reached for the control tap and turned it to 'off'.

Standing in the shower a moment longer, the water from her body trickling slowly into the base tray, they were joined by silent tears.

Dressing quickly she was aware of the drain from the bracelet at the back of her mind, slow and persistent. Even she, a Great One, wasn't immune forever, only.....

The thought almost made her yell out. Anton! The power drain would stop her from being able to help him! Only one person she knew was immune from it.......

Nadya

She couldn't do it could she? Not to her own daughter?

Passing Nadya's room Sveta looked in, thinking she was asleep.

"Mummy."

Sveta jumped. "What sweetheart?"

"Give me Aunty Olga's bracelet please."

Sveta almost choked. "No baby, this is mummy's problem, not yours."

"I am not a baby any more mummy, and it will be a problem if you keep it. I can see that already. But it wont be a problem for me....you know that."

Sveta frowned. How much did Nadya know already? Was it time to start involving her in matters? She was so young still, but hadn't it been herself who had initiated Nadya so young...so who was to blame? She make a quick decision, feeling an utter bitch while doing so.

"Alright Nadya, just for a little while..." Sveta glanced at the clock, 6am, 13 hours to go "....just until tomorrow morning. Mummy is going to have a lot to do and she could do with the help."

She slipped the bracelet around Nadya's wrist, immediately feeling the drain lift. "But the minute you feel tired, or even anything, tell mummy right away."

"I will."

"Promise me..."

Nadya's eyes seemed to change, gaining many years, and in a voice that sounded to old to come from her young body she spoke. "I promise, by the Light that bore me, the Light that found me and the Light that aides me to my rest."

Sveta was stunned. The ancient oath! "Nadya!"

Nadya's eyes cleared and she looked puzzled. "What mummy?"

"Where have you heard that before? "

"Heard what?"

Sveta shook her head, no, Nadya hadn't heard it before, nor could she remember it now. The ancient oath, it wasn't taught, it came of its own volition. It was a Twilight thing, very powerful, and ultimately binding. Yes Nadya would tell her if anything were wrong, she would have no choice, the oath would make her. Sveta couldn't help thinking about Gesar's meddling with the book of destiny before Nadya's conception; she was conceived BECAUSE of it, Sveta was certain of it. Gesar was trying to create a new Light messiah, he got a zero point child sorceress instead. But did they have something different? More than a Zero point? A Minus point? Were such a thing possible? Or was it something else?

Sveta shuddered. "Remember to tell me."

"Yes mummy".

Sveta wondered if Nadya would ever need to.....


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Ilya stepped out of the car into the underground car park. The weather outside was appalling. It was all over the world. A lot of energy had been discharged into the atmosphere when the seals were set, it had to go somewhere. The media was having a field day, floods in the Sahara, snow blizzards in Australia, over 1000 killed in Thailand by football sized hail, their homes smashed to pieces. Moscow itself was sweltering in 40 degree heat, the electrical storms taking out power lines and communications with a frightening regularity. Torrential rain made the air so humid it was almost unbreathable, like drowning with every breath. The human doom-sayers were descrying the end of the world. For once, Ilya felt they might be right, but for the wrong reasons.

He also felt old. Every joint in his body seemed to creak as he moved and, although no lines or extra wrinkles had appeared on his face, his skin felt dry and sore, despite the humidity. At least he was fairing better than Ignat. He turned to look at his companion, who was just getting out of the passenger side door. Ignat shot him a wink, his scales creasing up in visible wrinkles, some sloughing off in tiny particles, sparkling rainbows in the fluorescent lights.

Leaning heavily on a walking stick, Ignat began to hobble towards the stairs. Ilya stopped him and motioned towards the delivery lift. Ignat shrugged his shoulders and sighed, changing direction. Ilya began to wave his hand at the car, stopped, then got out his keys, locking the doors manually.

Ignat laughed, a dry, crackling sound. "And I'm a succubus who can't suck any more! Come on, we'll be late."

It was Ilya's turn to shrug. "So what? Can't exactly fire us any more can he? In fact what can he do at all?"

Ignat stared at him with a smirk. "Never underestimate a cornered animal....they are liable to rip your head off."

"They'll welcome to it." Ilya growled. "Its no use to me any more..."

Ignat laughed again and patted him on the back. "Never mind Ilya, worse things happen at sea as they say." Ilya doubted it.....

* * *

"I tell you there is nothing we can do." Gesar was sat behind his antique desk, bruises and swelling still visible on his face. The healers were limited to, and there were far worse off than himself. Ilya thought it more likely it was Gesars way of showing the facts behind the almost unbelievable story he had returned with. Apart from the marks and Gesars day bed, still out and unmade where he had rested after his return journey, he looked as though he had never left; His whole commanding demeanour palpable in the room.

Gesar continued. "We have had our 'teeth pulled', a horrible term but unfortunately completely appropriate."

Sveta was pacing like a caged lioness. "I'm not bound, I can do something."

"Svetlana, not even Nadya could 'do something'". Sveta jerked to a stop. Gesar added "It has to be done by the ones who weaved it."

"I can do something, I have to do something!" Tears streamed down her face. "Anything...feed you power, what about that? What if that works?"

"Feed it to what? I can't use it. Even if every Other that ever existed channelled through me, into me, it would just hit a dead end, the seal blockage. And using up my lifeforce until I die would only provide a fraction of the power needed. Sveta.....we used over a thousand years worth of artefacts to convert Anton. To change him back would need less, but still....."

"So you'd leave him to die."

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity to remove that much power from the Dark, it was worth a single life to save it being used against us in the future. I have saved many Light ones by that decision."

"You knew you couldn't do it then. You condemned him with a false promise." The bitterness in Sveta's voice was clear, the anger rising in her eyes. "I hope your proud of yourself."

"Pride doesn't factor into this."

Sveta turned her back on him and strode away, snatching a bronze statuette from the cabinet on the far side of the room. Returning to the desk she held it tightly in her hand. Slowly it began to glow, the smell of charred flesh assailing Gesars nostrils. "Sveta....don't..." but she ignored him. Slowly the statuette began to melt, a small globule dropped to the carpet, burning a hole. Ilya leaped up and grabbed a glass of water, throwing it onto the smouldering patch.

"Sveta....please, calm down. Or you'll burn the building down around us." Ilya place his hand on her arm. Sveta looked at him blankly, but withdrew her power. The statuette immediately began to cool into a misshapen blob of molten slag. Sveta had to peel her hand from it, the flesh had fused with the metal and tore away with it. Ilya winced at the sight. "Sveta........."

"Don't worry, I can heal it....unlike the pain inside." She turned to Gesar. "Had I not promised Olga I'd watch out for you, this would have been you." She dropped the ruined ornament on his desk , faint wisps of smoke began to rise from the scorched varnish. Gesars face remained calm.

"I have to thank you for that, you saved the one person who matters to me."

"In return you have killed mine." Sveta turned away from him again, and stared out of the window. The storm was gathering force, if that were even possible. It had raged for hours and didn't seem spent yet. Cradling her burned hand she watched lightning flicker past the window, and strike a lightning rod on the building next door.

"He still has a chance Sveta. He might be able to come back by himself....to himself....he was strong....I told Zabulon it was the Twilight that caused us so many problems, but a lot of it was from him. He fought us, fought hard. To stay here, to stay with you and Nadya. If anyone can get back, if anyone can survive, its him. Look what he did to avoid us! The plane stunt was sheer madness, and sheer genius at the same time. I would have said it was impossible to do, but he did it."

"I notice some past tense in that rehearsed speech Gesar." Svetas bitterness still showed, and something else. The loss of hope.

Ignat, sitting on a chair by the cabinet, was slowly shaking his head. "I'm sorry Sveta, but I have to agree with Gesar. Anton's in a better position to help himself than any of us are, or, from what we have been told, ever will be. We have to concern ourselves with other matters now." Sveta scowled at him, eyes red-rimmed but dry. He ignored her and looked at his watch. "What time is Zabulon arriving?"

"In a few minutes." Gesar replied. "Be warned though, all of you, he's bringing an unsealed Dark one with him, he claims its for transport as his very appearance precludes him from travelling via normal methods now. That's why I needed you here Sveta, as insurance. I cannot see anything happening after our previous 'encounter', but I still wouldn't trust him."

"I should just let him take you...you heartless bastard." she muttered under her breath. And then, louder "Why does he need to come here?"

"He doesn't need to, I have ordered him to." Gesars eyes sparkled. "He is a broken man now, still dangerous, but lost. And there are a few things that need clarifying by him before we can move on. You may find some of this...interesting..." He walked over to the cabinet and picked up a second statuette, moved to Sveta and placed it into her good hand. "I suggest you use this as well.....I don't want him killing.....not yet."

Sveta glanced at them all. "He'd kill himself trying to get us before saying anything truthful and you know it."

"We'll see...." Gesar sat back down as a huge peal of thunder rattled the windows, hail battering the paving far below into submission. No one was outside to feel it, the entire population had taken shelter when the storm began, many of those were now praying to whatever god they believed in for deliverance. Sveta felt like praying herself....but she didn't know how, or who to, any more.

A small device on Gesars desk began to buzz. "He's coming." Gesar pointed to the object, about the size and shape of an American dollar. "Its a portal detector, seeing as I cant see them forming until the user actually arrives."

A few seconds later the distinctive ozone type smell of a portal filled the air and Zabulon appeared, followed by a timid looking girl, no more than a young teenager. Sveta scanned her automatically, level 4 and newly initiated. No threat then, at least not to herself. This girl probably showed potential as a teleport and was rushed through initiation after the sealing. She looked exhausted to, there would be a lot of demand for gifted portaler's now. So that part was true then, Zabulon had her for transport only. Sveta risked a brief scan over Zabulon, he was clean, no artefacts as far as she could tell. She still didn't like it though, and squeezed the second statuette involuntarily in her good hand, while healing the injured one.

"Good afternoon, Dark One." Gesar gave a small bow. Zabulon nodded but remained silent. Sveta was unfazed by his demon form, she had seen it before, but she was a little surprised by his smell, foetid, like partially rotted meat. But Ilya had to struggle not to stare, he hadn't seen Zabulon like this before. Sveta thought he was doing pretty well, under the circumstances.

Gesar motioned Zabulon to a chair, he grunted acknowledgement but remained standing.

"Why Zabulon, why all this? Why did you orchestrate all this." Gesar gestured vaguely around him, striking Zabulon with his opening gambit and before the Dark one could reply added "...This was all too an elaborate set up just for revenge on Anton...so why?"

Sveta stiffened but remained outwardly calm, her grip on the statuette still taut.

"All this? What do you mean, I haven't planned anything." Zabulon said haughtily, almost petulant.

Gesar stood up. "I think Sveta would like a few answers from you. I've given her my side of the story, now its your turn. Don't think a bit of 'roughing up' made me forget what was said in the Inquisitors office. I know why you would want revenge on me, as misguided as you are, but why Anton....SPEAK!"

Zabulon almost recoiled at Gesars sudden shout, even Ilya flinched and he had expected it. Even without power Gesar was still a force to be reckoned with, but then so was Zabulon.

With a sneer as wide as his twisted mouth would let him, Zabulon hissed "Revenge. Bullshit, I never wanted revenge on Anton."

"Then why set him up to die!" Sveta blurted out, moving towards the Dark one, Gesar waved her back. Howling in frustration she flung the statuette across the room, smashing the glass in the cabinet.

Zabulon watched her with glee in his eyes and roared with laughter. "Anton? I couldn't care less about Anton.."

"Then what.....?"

With blurring speed Zabulon leaped in front of Sveta and gloated into her face. "I wanted revenge on you, you bitch!" Lacking his usual resonance, the bitterness and venom of his voice still his her like a wall. She was about to ask why when he continued.

"You beat me once, humiliated me, destroyed my authority. Do you know how much blood I had to spill to gain that back, how many I've killed. I wanted revenge on you! The plan was for you to go with him. When he heard a certain trigger word he was suppose to kill someone. You were suppose to be there to stop him. You would have to kill him to do it, or he would kill you. Either way it would have achieved the same thing. Either death of you or your soul. I soooo hoped it would be your soul, tearing you to bits with guilt for eternity."

Sveta gagged, Nadya said Daddy was going to do a bad thing. Zabulon continued.

"But this is even better, now you'll have to think of him dying, far away, and you stuck here, unable to help, with me, and I get to watch you fall apart."

Sveta screamed and lunged at Zabulon. Despite his size he was fast, he grabbed her by the wrists and lifted her from the floor. Sveta began to chant, a huge energy ball began to form around the pair of them.

"Sveta!! Stop it, we might still need him!" Gesar's command cut through the angry red mist that had descended across Svetas vision. Unable to draw back the power quickly enough she diverted it out through the ceiling, hoping no one was above them in the currently empty Headquarters. Then rapidly she created a force field around Zabulon, squeezing it tightly, pinning his feet to the floor. Zabulon continued to laugh, more of a wheeze in the tightening field.

"Sveta...." Gesar said, the warning tone in his voice clear.

Sveta tightened the field even more. "You said alive, you didn't say anything about pain free." She tugged at it again. Zabulon groaned but still tried to laugh.

"Let....me....talk!" The Dark one finally hissed. Sveta reluctantly slackened off the field just enough for Zabulon to be able to breathe. "If he dies ..it ...wont be all my doing. Gesar here was the one...who ripped Anton's seal out. That'll probably finish him off....unsealed...lucky bastard..."

"Lucky?! You call dying lucky?" She tightened the field again.

Zabulon winced. "You call looking....being....like this any better? I've instilled enough....fear...into the Watch for them to ...obey me without question...but who will be the first to take...a pot-shot...at my position? Any unsealed one can try.....and if I show weakness...they will do."

"You lying bastard, what do you think will stop me from killing you right now where you stand?"

"Because I know how to bring Anton back..."

The silence stunned.

"How?" asked Gesar.

"Ahhh...like I'm going to ...give up the last...bargaining chip I have."

"Sveta release him."

"But Boris...!"

"Release him!... But keep him shielded."

Zabulon nodded. Sveta slowly loosened the restraining field, converting it to an impenetrable shield. "Probably the best I could expect in the circumstances." Zabulon grunted, rubbing circulation back into his arms. He reached to his cheat and lifted up a flap of scaly hide. From underneath he pulled out a small folded square of paper. "Let Gesar read this." Indicating to Sveta to take it she shook her head.

"Ilya, take it, pass it to Gesar."

Ilya looked at both of them then reached through the tiny gap Sveta created for him and took it from Zabulons hand. Zabulon smirked at Ilya's face as he handled the note. It was warm, and a little slimy. Ilya almost threw it to Gesar, who took it and unfolded it without any qualms. As he read it his face turned ashen.

"You see?" said Zabulon. "I copied two pages from the Fuaran. Gesar never asked me about a reversal spell. His greedy eyes were set on all the artefacts that he could take out from our usage. How much power he could leach from the Dark. But there is a way...but your not going to like it..." The cold sparkle of his cats-eyes spoke volumes, triumph.

"The reversal requires a blood sacrifice."

"Human?"

"Other."

Gesar spoke. "According to the Fuaran, only the blood sacrifice of a higher Other can change his back, save him."

"I see, so you mean I would have to die so that Anton may live, and Zabulon wins either way." Sveta's voice was bitter.

"No, your not high enough, not yet..."

"Then that only leaves...."

Zabulon roared with laughter again. "Now you know where your precious Gesars meddling with destiny has gotten you! There is only one higher."

Sveta spun towards Gesar. "Say its not so!!. Say it!!"

Gesar shook his head. "I can't, its either Anton or Nadya....we can't save both....."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The Master Inquisitor stood another long vigil by the book of Destiny, the snicking sound, like cats claws against wooden flooring, faint but clearly audible through the protective casing; Minuscule spidery writing filling page after page, the colour of old blood, still indecipherable. And the pages themselves, where did they go? The book could do this forever and never fill. Did earlier pages disappear, or was it the same page filling over and over again, just giving the impression it was turning. Turning with the passage of time. He didn't know, but he wanted to know. It might be significant......

No, it wasn't, but what else did he have to do? Plans were already laid, orders issued, for the disbanding of the Inquisition. His creation, redundant in its current form, was powerless now. Contingencies had been organised in case of extreme emergencies arising. That made him laugh quietly to himself, what could be more of an emergency than the one they were having now.

Now came the wait, what for he didn't know.

Was the price he paid too high? He really hadn't know the full consequences of his actions, even the worse case scenarios hadn't been prepared for this. Nor was he. This was more than he had bargained for. The Watches were finished. There was no way to monitor the unsealed ones outside of them, eventually they would fight, it was in their nature. It would be many years from now, but, without the controls, inevitable.

And what if the one he was looking for did appear from hiding? There was nothing he could do about it any more. So that was it then, the Twilight would remain broken, he would remain trapped in a life he didn't want, or a death not of his choosing. He watched the pages fill, line after line after line. Thousands of Others would be born, live and die never knowing they were special. The Master Inquisitor didn't think it was such a bad idea....

* * *

Sveta was curled up on the floor, shaking from head to toe, tremors visible even in the shield she held around Zabulon. But she didn't release it. Zabulon's eyes flashed with pleasure, feeding on her pain like an exotic fruit.

"Sveta....." Ignat winced as he crouched down next to her. "Sveta, he's doing it to hurt you. We know there isn't a choice. Anton has to help himself if he can, it's too late in the game to change it now. We have a bigger problem looming."

Sveta looked up and shot him a glanced so filled with hate he recoiled, but he continued. "It's almost time for the mirror, or whatever it is. 15 minutes, if that witch was correct. Sveta, please, I'm sorry, it's too late for Anton.....Sveta we have to prepare..."

"What if Anton succeeded though, what if he got Egor.....Dark....in time?"

Gesar glared at Zabulon. "I don't think it would make a difference Sveta. Whatever is coming its not because of some mythical imbalance. I realised that at the HQ of the Inquisition. This is far beyond that. Someone has messed with forces they shouldn't have."

"But....?"

"Not once did Lorah mention a mirror."

"Yes she did!" blurted Zabulon.

"No she didn't, she said 'Light cannot illuminate him, Dark cannot shadow him, none can oppose him, none can control him, yet all can see themselves in him. A shining jewel in the greyness. A reflection of us all.' We interpreted it as a mirror because of the 'yet all can see themselves in him' bit. But after recent events and revelations I've come to a number of different conclusions."

"What?" Zabulon seemed genuinely intrigued. "You think its......"

"Possibly. We will see."

The semi-cryptic conversation was lost on the rest of them. Ilya, Ignat and Sveta just looked at each other confused. Gesar had obviously not told them the full story on his returned, they never expected him to, it was his way. Sveta, still trembling, pulled herself up off the floor and stood facing him.

"This is the day you tell me my husband is as good as dead. Yet you still speak in riddles. Tell me now Gesar, or I will be forced to compel you to."

Gesar nodded and briefly told them of the conversation with the Master Inquisitor, to increasing gaped of incredulity. Ilya swallowed hard, it was difficult to believe. Until a few days ago he had never even heard of the Master Inquisitor. Now Gesar was telling him of the Twilight creator, no wrong word, inceptor, still existed as well. Ignat believed Gesar, he only had to look at Zabulon's face to know it was true. Whether it was because they were of similar demon type stock, or just that the veils of deceit had been peeled back with the loss of power, either way, Ignat found he could read Zabulon like a book. And he didn't like was he saw there, but did see the truth in Gesars words.

"That may be so...." Sveta still glared at Gesar "..but that doesn't tell me what we are suppose to do about it. How can you prepare for something like that? Could the Watches even at full power? Or will he pass almost unseen, assuming its the person Lorah spoke of."

"We will soon know." Gesar glanced at the clock.

The storm outside still howled at the windows as they waited. As 7pm approached they became aware of the storm suddenly easing outside, the wind cutting off almost in mid gust. But nothing else happened. 5 minutes past, the tension was excruciating. At 10 minutes past Gesar sighed.

"Well either Lorah was wrong, and this whole thing was a farce, or he's here, somewhere in the world and it wasn't the end of it....."

The portal alarm began to sound....

"....or her timing was out by a few minutes."

Sveta quickly tied off the shield on Zabulon and crouched ready to leap. Ilya and Ignat placed their backs against the wall. Gesar grabbed a small .22 gun from the drawer. A nod between him and Zabulon. Sveta missed it, Ignat didn't. The young Other who transported Zabulon was huddled in a corner, screaming, trying to hide.

The portal appeared.

* * *

The timer buzzed on the Master Inquisitors desk. He was only vaguely aware of it. Something else had drawn his attention. The book. It had ceased its writing. It had stopped in what appeared to be mid-sentence. Then it wrote one word, in a language he could understand. It said 'Now'.

He stared at the 3 letters. Somewhere in his mind he could hear a bell tolling.

* * *

As the portal opened a blast of wind thundered into the room, vortexing so powerfully it threw them all to the floor, except Zabulon who was rooted by the shield. As Gesar tumbled behind his desk he hit the 'record' button concealed underneath on the way down. He might not survive this but a recording of what happen should, the hidden cameras protected by powerful magic years before, even if the building got destroyed they would survive.

The light from the portal flooded the room as it formed a few inches above the carpeted floor. A figure fell through, landing heavily on the floor. The portal snapped shut with a sickening smack sound. The wind instantly ceased.

Sveta screamed. "Anton! Anton!" She rushed to him and grabbed him in her arms. She began flinging healing spells into him, but they seemed to just bounce off. "Somebody.. do something!"

Ilya raced to the smashed cabinet and reached inside, retrieving a medical kit. Ignat helped Sveta turn Anton onto his back and start CPR. Compressions, breath, compressions, breath.

"Come one you bastard!" yelled Ignat, thumping Anton in the chest.

Sveta was blinded by tears, but she could see his aura fading. Ilya prepared an adrenaline shot and injected it straight into Anton's heart. Ignat continued to compress, Sveta to breathe into him.

Zabulon was howling. "I win, I have my revenge! Suffer you bitch! Suffer!" Then he broke down into maniacal laughter, an almost hysterical screeching.

Sveta saw Anton's aura, almost gone. "Nooooooooo, Anton nooooooo...!" she wailed.

Gesar put his hand on her shoulder. "Let him go Sveta, there's nothing we can do".

"No, you bastard, no!" Sveta spun round and slapped Gesar across the face. Gesar took the blow without comment.

Ilya and Ignat looked at each other, then stood up.

"No! Don't stop! Keep going!" Sveta screamed.

"Sveta, he's gone. I'm sorry, we cant do any more."

"NOOOOOOOOO!!" She flung herself across his body, a keening wail ripped from her lips.

Ignat noticed a piece of paper gripped tightly in Anton's hand. Discretely, so as not to disturb Sveta, he prised Anton's fingers open, held in a tight grip it took him a few attempts to do. It looked like a note, there was writing on it. He held it up to Gesar, Gesar nodded. Ignat coughed and began to read the brief line.

"All is not what it seems, and what it seems is not all......"

For Sveta, everything seemed to go in slow motion. As the last word left Ignat's lips the room seemed to fill with light, all around her came the sound of a strange, vibrating harmony. Then Anton was moving. She let out a cry, a mingling of surprise and delight, as he raised up of the floor and stood, then floated. Light and Dark seemed to pour out of him, visible even to the sealed ones. It began to swirl around him, filling the room. The harmonic sound vibrated in their heads, the light and dark swirls began to intertwine, the whole creating a beautiful dance. Visions, personal to each of them, formed in their minds, memories filled with love, loss, sorrow, joy, burst through. Sveta began to recall all the memories crammed into her by the linking at Ilya's. All they had seen, all they had experienced, mingling as one expansive concerto of the mind.

Then Anton began to speak...but it wasn't Anton, it wasn't his voice, it was someone, something, speaking through him. A torrent of words came out, then a second voice, then a third. A multitude of voices, all speaking in harmony in a language none of them understood. But they all knew it was a message.

While transfixed, none of them noticed the portal detector sounding again.

Enchanted and distracted, they didn't notice the small figure slip through the portal into the room. They were lost in the music, seeming to reached a crescendo, filling every corner of their being with the swirling unity.

As Anton slowly descended back to the floor the figure came forward. Sveta didn't notice at first, the harmonies still blinding her mind, soothing her soul. As the sound ceased she looked down at the now prone figure of Anton lying on the floor once more, a little girl with her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.

"Nadya! What....? Still dazed by the after-effects she stooped down to pick her daughter up. "Nadya....come to mummy....daddy is...."

Nadya beamed a huge smile. "All will be well now mummy, daddy is back."

Sveta stifled a sob, then she saw the slow, steady rise and fall of Anton's chest. "Anton!" she screamed, flinging her arms around both him and Nadya. She began to probe his aura and frowned...something wasn't quite right. Turning to Nadya she said "Sweetheart, can you see daddy in the twilight."

"Yes mummy, nice and clearly."

"Do you think you could show it as an image to Uncle Gesar?"

"Everyone would see it mummy."

Sveta glanced at Zabulon, still dazed within his field. "That's ok, show everyone."

Nadya concentrated, her little brow creasing with effort. Soon an image of Anton as Nadya saw him appeared floating in the air as though he were a projection. Anton's aura was pure grey, the colour of Twilight, in his chest spun the impression of a huge, multi-faceted diamond, reflecting everything, light and dark, and blending them into one. The choir-like buzzing returned, lower pitched, emanating from the core of the gem, filling the mind, blocking the senses.

Gesar gasped. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind ancient stories clamoured for attention.

Ilya was visibly shaking. Only Ignat remained stone faced, watching Zabulon's reactions. At first the Dark one was awed, but then his attention diverted. Ignat saw Zabulon had seen something. He turned. The young Other Zabulon had brought was trying to silently move her way towards the door. Zabulon was squirming in the field, trying to get out. Sveta hadn't noticed. "Sveta....the door..."

Sveta turned a second too late, the girl flung the door open and fled, portalling away as she ran.

"Shit!" Sveta cursed. "I forgot to seal the door! Where is she going, do you know?"

"No, but when I find her she is dead!" Zabulon roared, breaking the vision Nadya had made. It faded quickly, but they had seen enough.

"She's gone to report to whoever she has been told to." said Gesar.

"What do you mean, report?" Zabulon started to squirm, looking very uncomfortable.

"You may have initiated her, but she wasn't one of yours, I could tell as soon as you arrived, I didn't need the Twilight to spot something that obvious. She was clearly fighting against the urge to flee every second she was here. Someone wanted to know what happen here today....someone is going to find out."

Sveta, still cradling Anton ans Nadya said "What has happen Gesar? What will she report?"

"Something no one thought would ever be seen again. I don't think I have ever been so originally wrong in all my life...but...If I am not mistaken now...It wasn't a mirror Lorah saw." Gesturing towards Anton. "Ladies and Gentlemen, what we have here is a Neutral, a pure Neutral, the first in millennia........ and as the Master Inquisitor said 'And may what ever deity, or belief you have, have mercy on our souls.'..........."

End of part 2

* * *

Authors note: The times in this section of the story (7pm) was written to match the correct international time zones of the first part (afternoon where Anton was when he returned).

I hope you enjoyed this...last and final story in the set to come soon...keep watching!


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